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Realistic or Modern Night’s Embrace | Private |

Rose allowed for a loud huff to escape her lips at his comment on the teasing. He was right; even if she didn’t want to admit it. He never promised his teasing would be lighthearted. They both were nearing a point where they wanted to see the other riled up just to get the moment to finally come. She felt as though she was finally teetering over the edge she had been so worried about before. She continued to keep her gaze on the wall in front of her. She knew that her entire facade would far if she were to cast one glance over at him. The power the other male had over her was tremendous. She didn’t need for him to see it just yet, not in that moment. This was the first time that she actually struggled in holding back her desire. In every moment she felt something such as this before, she didn’t need to hide it away. She guessed that just had to do with the desperate need for Blaine to procreate with her. She would forever be grateful that she never had children with him.

“My kindness certainly only goes so far Emory. I can assure you that there is a completely different side to me that you have yet to see.” She commented, still keeping her eyes focused ahead. The gentle brushstrokes were enough to keep her thoughts at bay for the current moment in time. She had her own seduction techniques that she planned to use on Emory. Considering his reaction to her ballgown, she didn’t think it would be nearly as hard for her to get him to break once he saw her in what she planned on arriving in that evening. It was one of the finest things she owned, something she bought before she married back in the kingdom. She had never worn it around Blaine, never finding the need to. She was grateful to be able to do so now. The prospect of seeing Emory’s facial expression from it was something that she couldn’t wait for. “You are lucky I like the tunic you are currently wearing. Otherwise I would splatter paint on you.” She muttered in a rather grumbly tone still.

She allowed for a full silence to overcome them while they continued to paint. Much to her belief, the task was completed just before dinner. The bright blue was a welcome change from the dull grey, lightening the entryway immensely. She was itching to continue painting the first room, but she knew they needed to stop for the day. The sun was already creeping below the horizon by the time she sat and ate dinner. Of course she made her usual pleasant comments, but no more teasing came. Her mind was so focused on what she was planning for after the meal that she had forgotten to give Viola the necklace she bought her. She looked to her pain splattered hands once she finished her meal, slowly standing. “I am going to go bathe and clean up before bed. I will see you in your chambers shortly.” Her words were spoken in a sing-song tone. Her eyes were gleaming mischievously though.

She offered him a gentle smile before turning and making her way towards the stairs and up to her room. Her steps were light in the manner they always were despite them being a bit quicker in order bathe. She prepared the bath with the usual oils she used, adding a bit extra to help the scent stick to her. She stripped the dress off and carefully got in. She soaked in the warm water for longer than she would’ve liked to. She hadn’t expected for it to relax her as much as it did. She then scrubbed the paint from her hands and the few spots on her arms where it had gotten. She stepped from it once she was satisfied, drying herself off. She knew Viola would be gone by that time and it would be perfect for her to enact her plan. Once dried, she padded over to the dresser. She pulled open the bottom drawer and grabbed exactly what she had been looking for.

The material was sheer and silky, hugging each curve she had much more than it did before and showing things that not many saw.. It was pale cream in color, complimenting her still paler skin from the winter. She paused to gaze at herself in the mirror. She hadn’t realized just how much weight she had gained back in her time here with Emory. It filled her out healthily and she looked as though she was finally alive again. She allowed for her hair to be undone from the braids it had been in, now falling in gentle waves on her shoulders. Once she was satisfied, she turned and made her way on the familiar pathway towards Emory’s chambers. Much like the night before, she knocked three times on the door before she stepped inside. The grumpiness from earlier had disappeared and a new air of confidence was shining on her. She tilted her head slightly as she gazed at Emory with a lazy smirk on her lips, green eyes seductive.
 
Emory to say the least was quite amused with her grumpiness, though he too had not broken the silence between them, allowing for the peace to not be broken. During dinner, the man didn't allow himself to act out of the norm, even if he was certainly looking forward to whatever Rose could possibly have in store for him, his usual expression of neutrality remained, keeping up polite comments in response if there was a need for him to do so. However, again much to his disappointment, he could not taste the food he consumed, it once again feeling like unappealing mush within his own mouth, and his stomach didn't feel as if it were being filled, leaving him feeling a tingle of hunger still within him as if he'd not eaten at all. Although this was worrying, he easily masked it behind his usual cold exterior, not desiring to ruin the peaceful mood with Rose, nor did he want to worry Viola in not consuming a decent amount of food this time, pushing himself to eat everything before him despite it doing him no good.

With Rose's parting comment however, that had made the faintest of smiles to cross his face, prompting a surprised glance from Viola as he responded in turn, "Very well, I'll see you soon." The man stood from the dining table, though he could feel Viola burning holes in his back as he retreated, a tinge of embarrassment once more settled within him. Undoubtedly, Viola would perhaps ask Rose what had happened during the night, as he was well aware of the maid's closeness to her. Besides, Viola was a sharp one especially when it came to romance, he knew that she would be able to pick up on the faint tension between the two. I don't know why this feels so embarrassing though... oh well. No need to make himself fret over what Viola thought, knowing that the maid would probably be bursting at the seams with happiness. For now, he would focus on preparing himself for whatever Rose had in store for him, and so he would patiently wait.

And yet, the waiting felt like a torture in of itself. The man had retreated to his room, seated upon his bed as his gaze shifted absentmindedly across the bare walls of his room and eventually would turn to the window. The dark skies outside did little to calm his mind, slowly beginning to race with the possibilities on whatever Rose was going to greet him with. Though his mind certainly felt scattered, it was when he had heard the knocks upon his bedchamber's door that the man had turned his head, anticipation flaring in his chest. To the say the least, what greeted him was enough for his mind to go blank for a few moments, expression unreadable as his golden eyes scanned over her figure... once, twice. A tinge of red had crossed his cheeks after a few seconds, his mind finally beginning to formulate incoherent thoughts although, not desiring to give her the satisfaction of him being flustered, he kept his facial expressions under control, although his eyes kept peering over her form. Although he had seen her naked before, that was when she had been ill, and he hadn't looked closely at anything to preserve her modesty... but this time he didn't have to suppress the desire to stare, his arms crossing his chest as he closed his eyes, the redness across his cheeks having darkened a little bit more. The wait was well worth it indeed.

Her confidence was endearing to him, both making his heart race and also making him want to chuckle, but considering the heat flowing through his veins, laughter would not come easy. She probably thinks she has me cornered, does she? Granted... ah.. He opened his eyes again to peer at her, considering her silken outfit of choice, considering it exposed her to him for easier access, that alone was driving him mad, her gaze as well certainly wasn't helping... but he would not permit her to break his composure just yet. This is nothing Emory, c-calm down. A smirk of his own finally crossed his face as he tilted his head at her, "Well now, this is a surprise. I didn't expect you to own something like this." His golden eyes met her green, his confidence having not been shaken completely just yet, "I like it, granted I'm afraid this won't be enough. But, I'm guessing you have a few tricks up your sleeve, don't you?" Playing calm and collected was something that Emory felt that he mastered, underplaying the desire that had already ignited within him. "Liking it" wasn't merely enough to describe his actual enjoyment of seeing her like this. In fact, his mind was going wild despite his exterior being calm and seemingly unaffected aside from the dusting of red upon his cheeks.
 
Rose could feel the intense nature of his gaze as he looked her over a few times. She could feel the way his eyes stopped and stared at certain parts of her body, though she didn’t mind. She didn’t allow for her posture to falter. Any sign of her grumpiness or lack of composure from earlier was completely gone. It had taken a few private pep talks in the bath before coming in to help gain her confidence back in this way, but it had worked. That was all that mattered to her. She licked her lips quickly, the smirk still present on her face. Her eyes had narrowed slightly as she watched him. She blinked rather slowly at him then. Her eyes fell to the redness that was becoming more obvious on his cheeks the longer that he stared at her. Bingo. It was exactly the indication that she needed to know her plan was working. Now came along the fun part. If Emory truly wanted to tease, she would tease.

She made her way towards him, her hips swaying as she did so. Each movement she made was slightly exaggerated to help draw his eyes back to the parts of her body that she knew were most important then. “It seems as though you don’t know this side to me just yet.” She mused, her tone still holding that seductiveness. Her words were a little deeper with a purr on the end of them. Her skin held the scents of the oils from her bath. Lavender mixed with vanilla and sandalwood. She was grateful that the extra oil in the bath had worked in the way she wanted it to. She originally had been worried it might not. After all, it had been quite a long time since she had done anything like this. She refused to let that show. Each movement she made would need to be smooth and flawless. Emory didn’t need to see any wavering in her confidence. She let out a gentle hum as she stopped in front of him, resting both hands on his knees. She leaned forward to where their faces were only mere inches apart.

Her warm breath could be felt on his face, eyes glancing down to his lips for a brief moment before meeting the golden irises once more. “I do.” Her reply was simple. She pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth, trailing them slowly along his cheek to his ear. She paused there, lips touching it while she spoke. “I knew that this wouldn’t be enough to break you, though I know you cannot get enough of me in it.” Her voice was a whisper. She took his earlobe in between her teeth, lightly giving it a nibble like he had done to her before. She released it to press kisses down his neck then. Her hands slowly creeped up his thighs while she did so. She paused the kisses at his collarbones, bringing her head back up to be a few inches from his again. “But if this isn’t enough, I am sure I can truly wait.” She slowly began to pull back. Her entire plan was to tease him until he couldn’t possibly take it any longer. She recognized the deep desire in his eyes a day prior. If he felt that then, she couldn’t imagine how strong it was now.
 
(Fade out? c: )

The flash of her tongue darting across her lips had caused a shiver to go down Emory's spine, goosebumps flaring to life upon his skin. Though the man was stubborn, holding his position of confidence, though his eyes certainly couldn't stay one in place as she moved toward him, the sway of her hips almost hypnotic, making his quickened heartbeat begin to intensify. The closer she got to him, the more he was able to detect the sweet smell coming off of her, granted the smell of lavender had made the man visibly tense. It was only a fraction of a moment, a shadow crossing his previous mood, but it was quick to fade as soon as it came due to him just as quickly being distracted; after all the mixture of vanilla and sandalwood was enough to delude the lavender smell, causing the man to ease into relaxation once more. No need for him to ruin the mood, after all, Rose was trying so hard, and it wasn't as if he had plans on denying her further, merely finding interest in what she was capable of. And she certainly did not disappoint him.

The pressure of her hands on his knees sent tingles of fire to flare in his veins, adding to the heat he was beginning to feel, the warmth of her breath upon his face causing more shivers to go down his spine as her kisses would follow. More. The single, simple thought flared to life in his mind as her whisper taunted him, the breath along his ear causing more red to flare upon his cheeks as she nibbled on his earlobe. Tingles were soon to follow as the press of her soft lips upon his skin, primarily his neck had caused the man to not be able to suppress the shiver that flowed through his body, his crossed arms tensing as his fingers dug into his forearms, the pain being barely enough to register in his hazy mind, a quickening of breath signaling that her teasing was having an effect, punctuated by the faintest, rare moan to leave past his lips. Her hands slowly creeping up his thighs had made his body tense in anticipation, desiring for her hands to not stop, to keep creeping upward, for her kisses to not cease... and then she had stopped.

Ah. Emory had fallen into her trap, the man's quickened breaths, punctuated by a tinge of desperation in his golden eyes had stared in disbelief at her for a few seconds. No, please. More. Desperation was one thing he was familiar with, as he was quite used to being taunted and teased, and usually the man would be able to hold himself back, but it seemed as if Rose had teased him just enough for now to make such desperation show upon his features. His body felt hot, desire beginning to overwhelm rational thought. His arms had uncrossed, grabbing hold of her hands before she could withdraw and pulling her to him, the gold of his eyes dark with his desire. She had won him over, the man unable to keep his self control in check, his voice betraying him further, "I'm letting you go. Not now." After all, she had pushed him to the edge, far too aroused to allow her to leave him in such an embarrassing state. He needed relief, as truly he was losing his mind. Rational thought had all vanished, leaving the simple desire of wanting to ravish the woman before him.
 
yep! c: ))

Rose’s mind was racing as she laid on the bed, every rational thought she had before replaced with a feeling of bliss that took control of her entire body. It sent slight shivers down her spine and down to her toes. To see such desire in Emory’s eyes, to hear the straining of his voice from her actions, it only added to the satisfaction she was already feeling. Her imagination never could’ve matched the actual actions that the two participated in, but she would much rather have it that way. Emory had been incredible and her teasing had truly pushed him exactly where she hoped he would go. She shifted slightly in the bed to get more comfortable then. Her heavy breathing had eased by that point and her body was fully relaxed. She tilted her head slightly to gaze over at Emory, her expression softening back to what it usually was. The confidence she had before had subsided by that point as well.

“I did tell you I could get you to break.” The slightly teasing words broke through the silence that had settled between them, not that she minded the quiet air. She shifted once more in order to fully face him, hugging the sheet close to her as she did so. Every ounce of affection she had for the young lord had just been solidified in that moment. She was his and no one else’s. She would always be his and he hers. The thought made joy swell in her chest. The words he had spoken before came circling back to the front of her mind. The two were to eventually be married one day after the courting cycle had finished. She decided in that moment that she didn’t care if her father hated Emory. She knew the other side to the young lord well enough to be able to make her own decision as to marrying him. Besides, she couldn’t recall a time she had ever felt this deeply for someone in her life. She wasn’t going to let him slip away now.

“I have been hiding this for the right moment for years. I got it before I ever left the kingdom and never needed to use it until now. Though I am sure you won’t need such coaxing in the future.” She mused. The sheer silk had done exactly what she hoped it would. The way Emory’s gaze stared at her and studied her. She was sure that her body looked much different from what it had when she had been ill originally. She felt much healthier now after eating consistent meals and without the stress that came along with her marriage before. She did her best to keep her mind off of the wretched man, only wanting to focus on Emory in that moment. “Would you still want to go on that picnic tomorrow?” Her voice was a bit quieter as she questioned. She didn’t know if he would want to continue with his work after skipping out on it that day to help her paint. She would love to spend the time with him, but understood if he would be called away to handle his lordly duties.
 
Emory's body laid on the bed beside Rose, the man's body covered in a light sheen of sweat, satisfaction as clear as day within his golden eyes as he took a moment to simply allow the remnants of pleasure to wash over him. After quite a long time without having experienced intimacy, the feeling felt quite more intense, though perhaps this was due to him having forgotten, or his previous memories being coated by fear and dulled sensations due to drugs that had been administered to him. Never had he thought he would have allowed himself to be intimate with another, knowing full well his trauma and terror with being touched, but... here he was, going against all of his fears and allowing pent up emotions to run wild. A brief glance to his bed sheets was enough to show he probably did overdo it this time, far too eager, far too excited. Tiny rips within the sheets as well as a copious amount of other fluid was enough to tell him that the sheets would certainly have to be cleaned, if not altogether scrapped, but he could deal with that later. His body at this moment was far too relaxed and still trembling from the after shocks of pleasure for him to bother to get up just yet, nor did he move to cover himself. He felt comfortable enough with Rose as she had brought no fear to him, and besides after what they'd just done, there was no need for him to hide his body from her. Normally, he would feel prickles of unease, anxiety to soar through his chest at even the thought of someone seeing him naked, but with Rose there was no fear, no anxiety. He trusted her completely.

"Hm?" The young lord's gaze turned to look at Rose, feeling her gaze upon him, though now that his thoughts were no longer only fueled by desire, the man had done a cursory check over to make sure there were no bruises or even the worst case; burns on her body. It wasn't as if he was completely making sure he kept his emotions in check during the time, but considering she seemed to have no injuries had caused immense relief to flow through him, allowing the man to fully relax then as he shifted his body to lay on his side, propping his head up on one arm as a roguish smile had crossed the man's lips at her teasing words, "Careful with getting too cheeky, I still can go another round." He knew full well he could, but he wouldn't. If anything, he didn't want to make himself too sore in the morning, for it wasn't as if he did this often. Besides, pushing Rose too much could hurt her eventually, and he already pushed his luck as it was, especially through the haze knowing he had been a tiny bit rough in his excitement, a tinge of guilt had settled within him as he reached out with his free hand and gently caressed her cheek, expression softening with affection and a tinge of concern, but he would not voice his worries. Not yet.

A chuckle eventually left his lips, regarding the silk, his hand now shifting to play with her hair, coiling the brown locks around his fingers, "Well, I'm certainly glad I was the first one to see it. You looked absolutely stunning." Though the man paused for a few seconds, regarding if he'd not need much coaxing in the future, prompting him to nod his head, a bit sheepishly at that in silent agreement. Of course, considering this was the first time in many years he'd been in any form of intimacy, the man had tried his best to hold out for as long as he could, though he was sure it would be easier from here on with convincing him to give in. A tiny part of him, even if it was subdued and hidden away had contained fear, perhaps due to fearing that a memory would be recalled as he drew on his past experience, throwing him into a downward spiral... even if it certainly hadn't happened whatsoever this time, it was a bit of an irrational thought to have, but warranted. He didn't want to ruin any moment with Rose, desiring to give her a better experience, a better life... and even if he'd not inquired about Blaine's relationship with her, he could only guess that the man was absolutely unpleasant. A trickle of unease had settled upon him though, causing the man's concern to fully slip, "I didn't hurt you, did I?" After all, he would never desire to harm Rose, especially now. She'd already become so important to him, that the thought of harming her had made his heart feel uneasy.

As the topic turned to the picnic, Emory had smiled, leaning forward and placing a soft kiss upon her forehead, "Of course I would. How could I say no?" Though, this answer was probably fueled by his newfound affection for Rose, he desired to not leave her side for a single second. It was enough that he'd left her own her own for weeks, he craved her presence intensely, spurred on by the strange fascination with falling in love with her. That, and due to how much worry he had put in her for that time he was away, he wanted to make up for it. Leaning away, Emory had then settled upon his back, an arm draped lazily upon his stomach, the moonlight streaming into the room casting light upon his muscular figure, though the many scratches and scars from over his many years could be viewed, as well as a small mark upon his inner thigh, granted it could easily go overlooked, but it was a brand that was a constant reminder of his past. After all, he was technically "owned" by Lawrence Barker in the past, and his mother had at one point shared the same brand as well. It was also a reason why he never allowed himself to be seen in any form of undress, hiding a mark of shame that at this point in time he wouldn't hide from Rose. He knew well enough that she knew quite a bit of his history, granted it wasn't all of it, but just enough to get an idea of what he'd gone through before. Even if he found himself undeserving of Rose, such a feeling was always fleeting, never lingering in his mind for long unless his thoughts desired to torment him.
 
Rose kept her gaze on the other male’s face, her eyes soft with adoration clear as day in them. She might’ve mentioned how infatuated she was with Emory before but her actions now only proved it. The comfort he brought her was one that covered her completely. She felt safe around him and it was unlike anything she had ever felt before. Her emotions were amplified in that moment. It could just be from the pleasure still coursing through her veins, but she knew there was more to it. Everything about this moment felt right. The way their bodies had moved together, the gentle kisses they shared. Even now, as the two laid together, everything felt as if they should have been doing this for years. It made her wonder what would’ve happened if things had been slightly different in the past and Emory’s relations with her father hadn’t been nearly as strained. There had been plenty of suitors coming for her hand at the time. Would she have desired to be with Emory if he had been an option?

The thought didn’t linger in her mind too long. She knew it was best not to think of the past in the ways that she had been lately. All that mattered to her was their current moments. She was here with him now and would not be separated from his side again. She wouldn’t allow that to happen and she doubted he would either. A soft smile spread on her lips at his teasing reply. “I am sure I could as well, but I think we have done enough damage for one night.” Her words were still soft, though she was clearly referring to the sheets surrounding them. “Besides, I believe I have earned the right to tease you. I stuck true to my word after all. You should’ve seen your expression when I walked in.” A light laugh left her then. She wished she could’ve properly expressed to the young lord just how he had gazed at her. It was almost like how he looked to her when she stepped out in the dress, only amplified. She leaned gently into his touch, closing her eyes for a moment at the soft nature of it.

“If I am feeling kind enough, perhaps I will stop by the store again when we go for the ball. They had many others just like that.” She mused as she opened her eyes to meet his gaze. The affection that shone in his golden eyes warmed her heart, her own green irises reflecting just what he was feeling in that moment. Emory took up every thought in her mind then, controlling each aspect of her. That she knew was an after effect of what they just did. She didn’t mind though. That is exactly how she wanted it to be. She allowed for him to pull his hand back, shifting once more. She was laying on her stomach then, arms wrapped around the pillow by her head. She still kept her eyes on him, though her head was now resting on the pillow. The concern she voiced caused for her eyebrows to raise slightly. Her expression softened now long afterwards though. “No, you didn’t hurt me at all. You might’ve been eager but you were very gentle.” She promised.

The confirmation that he would join her tomorrow was one that caused for excitement to rise in her. “Very simply actually. But I do appreciate you wanting to still join me. I was worried you might have too much work to handle before you could join me. I did keep you away from it today.” She reminded. She didn’t push on the matter any farther, knowing she was lucky he even agreed to come in the first place. It made her feel better to know he was willing to take these breaks to join her for the most minuscule of things. “I have a feeling Viola is going to immediately know tomorrow without me even saying a thing. Are you prepared to be constantly teased by her?” Her question was a joke. Her eyes slowly moved to admire his muscular body. The scars that littered him didn’t bother her at all. They were just a reminder of how much of a survivor he was. She lifted her head for a moment, leaning over to place a gentle kiss to his cheek. She had noticed the mark on his thigh earlier, but didn’t mention anything about it. She didn’t want to ruin the mood for them.
 
A tinge of color had managed to cross Emory's face as soon as she'd mentioned stopping by the store prior to when they eventually go to the ball, causing the man to look away from her gaze. "Hopefully you do." He clearly had enjoyed it, though admitting it now after their little moment wrapped in pleasure was a bit embarrassing. As bold as he could be at times, a bit of a more timid side would appear in regards to what he did enjoy. Of course, this mixed with the affection that shone in her eyes for him, it all felt a bit much. The reassurance that came after that he didn't hurt her had caused relief to flow through him, evident in the further relaxation of his muscles as he said in a soft response, "Good." He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he did harm her, not desiring to put any fear within her toward him.

A bit of lightheartedness had returned to the man's expression, a shrugging of his shoulders following as he spoke, his tone being relaxed, "You did say that working too much wasn't good for me, so I'm taking a break." He gave her a playful wink, "Don't worry, I'm more than capable of catching up on anything I may miss." Emory knew quite well how to handle his duties in a swift and efficient manner, and two days of a break wouldn't prove to be too stressful to catch up on. After all, he was still awaiting news from Avrune which was putting a halt on the major problem that was concerning him; otherwise it was just reports on the imports and exports within his territory, as well as information on small changes in the kingdom, of which none seemed to be of much cause for concern yet. If a situation grew too dire for him to ignore, his sentries would be the first to inform him, but he doubted that anything of too much importance would come to his attention for another day or so, and considering the other territories and lords surrounding his land were on high alert, nothing should be able to escape his notice even if he took another break.

"Ah.." Emory knew well enough that Viola was quite invested in his relationship with Rose, and the expression on the woman's face when he had left the dining room was enough to tell him all that he needed to know that was going through her mind. Of course, he knew it was a joke, but the tinge of red that had faded had returned as he huffed, "She wouldn't dare. At least not with me." He knew Viola quite well enough that the maid would not verbally express any excitement or teasing to him, after all there was still a fear there underneath her motherly attitude toward the man. A fear I put in her, I suppose. Even now, he could tell that Viola, despite her devotion to him after he had spared her life was still walking on eggshells around him, as if terrified of him. He'd never bothered to close the gap between them, and even despite the few moments of more tender emotions that had been spurred by Rose's influence, Emory doubted if the maid would ever fully lower her guard. She knew how he was, and he would not pretend that she would ever be completely comfortable around him. The thought probably wouldn't have bothered him before, and even now he'd already given up on trying to bridge the gap between them. It was for Viola's safety, even as devoted as she was, such devotion could change if she perceived him as a threat.

The thought had put a damper on his mood for a second, though he quickly reigned himself in before he could get far too wrapped up in the darker thoughts. The man's attention instead shifted back to the topic of the picnic, "So, do you have any idea of where you want to go tomorrow? Or will we just be exploring in some direction?" Considering they were to bring Echo with him, the spirited stallion would probably be too eager to start running off to who knows where. A tinge of unease settled within Emory, worrying perhaps that Rose could get hurt... but when did he not worry about her?
 
Rose watched the familiar red come back to his face, almost wanting to let out a soft sound at it. She was grateful to be able to see this side to Emory, one no one else was ever privy to. It only made her feel more comfortable the longer that she spent with the other male. This was exactly how she wanted it to be and she planned to savor it for as long as she could. After all, with everything that happened as of late, something could come along at any moment and tear them apart. She hadn’t forgotten about the magic that Emory now possessed either. If someone else was to learn of it, they would certainly come to kill him. “There is that blush I adore.” She teased softly, her smile growing. She still planned to get him back for the teasing he had done earlier while they were painting, even if she had gotten him some before their activities. She thought back on the timeline, each day almost blurring together now. “We are going to have to leave for the kingdom soon, aren’t we? It is approaching much faster that I thought it would.” She realized. She was very prepared to see her father again though.

The relaxation that immediately overcame him at her reassurance he hadn’t accidentally hurt her caused a hint of surprise to flash in her eyes. She hadn’t realized he had been worried about that; though it did make sense as to why he might be. “I will tell you it something is ever uncomfortable or if you are accidentally hurting me. I promise.” Her reassurance was gentle. She would never allow herself to be in pain during an intimate moment like that, especially with him. Blaine hadn’t cared how rough he was as he always insisted they kept going. The stark contrast between Emory and the rat was one she appreciated immensely. She barely spoke of what occurred in her failed marriage to Emory. She assumed the young lord had an idea as to what all had happened though. The memories always stung whenever they resurfaced. She truly didn’t mind not speaking about it. Besides, the man would be dead soon enough. That was all she cared about.

A gentle sigh left her lips as her body fully relaxed, some fatigue overcoming her. She knew she would sleep well that night and doubted any nightmares would overcome her. Her mind hadn’t even though back on the occurrences at Freycrest once that day. It was a vast improvement. The mention of him not minding taking time off of work to spend with her made her feel even more comfortable. “I am surprised you even listened to me about that. I do recall hearing you barely took breaks before I came along.” Another jest. Her smile softened some as she nodded against the pillow slightly at Emory’s words. He did have a point. Viola would never dare speak to him in such a manner. She couldn’t blame the woman. “She will at least tell me what she wished she could tease you about and in turn, I will then tease you the way she wishes to. You won’t ever catch a break from me doing so.” She pointed out. “You won’t know what she said or what I said. It will all be one blurry mix.” She added with a gentle laugh.

She allowed her eyes to close for a few moments, stifling a yawn that threatened to break from her. “I am hoping to go towards the mountains. There has to be some flower field somewhere near them. The ride shouldn’t be too long either.” Her words were almost a mumble as she forced her eyes back open. Her exhaustion was beginning to show itself even though she tried to hide it. “Maybe we can go swimming in the lake on the way back as well, especially if it is anywhere near as hot as it was today.” She offered the suggestion. She hadn’t been back to the lake since armory had taken her there that one night. Everything had gone downhill since then, but she hoped things would only continue to improve for the time being for them.
 
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Emory would silently bear her teasing remark on his blushing, the only retaliation being the gentlest of nudges as he glared at her, granted it wasn't serious due to it quickly fading away and begin replaced with an amused grin. This grin had faded slightly at the mention of the kingdom, although knowing full well that the event was drawing ever closer, within the next week they would have to make their presence known to the world, and with it brace themselves for whatever may follow. Certainly, drama would be kicked up due to the fallout of the situation, and there was no telling how the nobles would react to Emory now suddenly having political leverage over them. Not that Emory would ever abuse such power, due to him not desiring Rose for such a foolish reason. Yes, he was aware of the practical uses, considering it would put him on a more even playing field to personally be at a greater position to get some retribution against those who had abused him; and he could gain plenty of information and even gain land if he truly desired it... but none of that matter compared to making Rose as happy as she could be. He wasn't like Blaine who only was greedily clinging to Rose for power, only using her for his convenience and hoping to solidify his position further by having an heir. In all honesty, considering the many schemes Blaine had been up to; many of which he discussed with great enthusiasm to him - the primary plan including Emory in them - he wouldn't be surprised if Blaine would have been trying to slaughter his opposition through underhanded ways once the man got an heir from Rose. It was the next logical step, rather than wait for many years for the possibility of getting the throne, the power hungry man would have accomplished such a reward with his own hands, bloodying them by using Emory as his weapon. The more he thought about it, the more he was relieved that Rose never got pregnant by the man, not only would he have missed out on the wonderful woman that she was; he probably would have been seen as a monster to her then more than ever as he would have slaughtered her family to further Blaine's agenda for power.

Considering the man he was, the man he knew he was still... Emory would have felt no remorse. After all, she would be a stranger to him, as distant as the stars in the sky. He wouldn't have cared if she hated him, and he would have willingly received any reward Blaine would have been eager to hand over. Luckily enough for both him and Rose, Blaine had gotten too impatient and angry over the lack of an heir and thrown Rose away to be killed instead, sufficiently scrapping his grand scheme and leaving Emory to deal with the cleanup. The more he thought about the man, the more of a bitter taste had settled on his tongue. No need to think too much on it. Such horrible events didn't happen, he should be grateful for that. Unknowingly, his expression seemed to have shown a bit of bitterness only for him to quickly get his facial expression under control. So, he finally responded, after a brief silence, "I should probably prepare an outfit then." He'd certainly have to get an outfit to compliment the color of the maroon dress Rose had chosen, if only to allow for them to stand out a bit more amongst the pastel colorations with spring outfits. Granted, he'd had plenty of dark suits that would suit the occasion, however getting something fresh and new would perhaps be the best outcome, especially considering all of his other suits had been stained with blood... he still couldn't get the faint iron smell out no matter what he tried, so it was a necessary expense. A mental note to send Viola or a sentry to Parnell's to order a new suit had then settled in the back of his mind as he contentedly laid beside Rose, though her surprise that crossed her face regarding his concern had made the man's gaze drop away from hers, lost in thought as she had then spoken.

"I see. Good. I just... don't want to be like him." The sentiment was a sweet one, his usual serious expression beginning to take hold on his previous relaxed expression. Emory desired for her to be happy with him, if she did not...

Not desiring to allow himself the uncomfortable and quiet self-loathing emotions that would follow, the man had stopped himself and forced himself to match her mood, chuckling at her words then, "So I'm to be left in the dark? Now I feel like I would want to know every detail from exactly who had spoken." He merely was joking of course, the man knew that Rose always was quite good at making his face go different shades of red, no doubt if she relayed everything to him, he would probably implode from embarrassment. The chuckle that left him had then quieted as he noticed her trying to suppress a yawn, a hand reaching out to gently brush some hair out of her face as he smiled softly at her, "We'll figure that out tomorrow when we head out, for now you should sleep. You can barely keep your eyes open." He paused then added with a smug smirk, "I'm sorry for tiring you out so much." Granted, there was truth in the apology. He did feel a bit guilty that she was exhausted, but at the very least he hadn't hurt her, that one thing he was repeating in the back of his mind for reassurance. Settling upon his back once more, his eyes closed as he too could feel the pull of exhaustion, after expending so much energy when he already had been tired beforehand, he wanted to sleep. The redness of his eyes hadn't quite faded yet, even if such a thing had been easily ignored due to other circumstances; but the man was certainly ready to sleep. Considering he'd only slept a small amount of hours, he wanted to make himself unconscious and have a dreamless sleep. Though, he had a feeling that desire was a bit too much to hope for.
 
Rose’s heart clenched at his words, the brief mentioning connecting her mind exactly to who Emory meant in that situation. Blaine was a dark cloud that seemed to always hang over both of their heads. Despite her doing her best to leave him behind in every aspect of her life, the rat always managed to squeeze his way back in. He was the reason she was even here in the first place. He believed for her to be completely barren and incapable of ever producing children. While it did hurt to think she might not ever be able to have a child someday, she knew that the stress of her life living with Blaine was probably the cause for her never reproducing. The first few months hadn’t been bad. He treated her with the respect he played out in front of her father. Her excitement grew for their marriage and she began to fall in love with him. It was like a switch had flipped the moment after she had spoken those three words to him for the first time. He turned into a complete monster.

He gazed at her with dark eyes, always snapping no matter what she would say. If she spoke one thing he didn’t like, she was immediately disciplined. The bruises on her arms as well as darkened marks on her face from slaps held her back the first time she was supposed to visit her family. He faked an excuse, stating she was ill. Her father believed such a thing due to her history of sicknesses. But things only continued to get worse. He would leave her for days without proper food. Whenever she did get sick, he never bothered to get her the right medicine she needed. She could still recall the day after their second anniversary. She had gotten a terrible case of the flu, body shaking and covered in sweat. Nothing she tried to eat or drink would stay down. He left her there, left her covered in her own vomit and filth for days. She had begged for death multiple times, wishing for someone to put her out of her misery. It was only when she was teetering that edge did he finally help take care of her. She had been a shell of herself since.

She shivered slightly at the thought, her own expression twisting some. Emory brought that spark of life back into her and she would forever be grateful for him due to that. He was showing her how one should properly be loved. Her gratitude towards him would never fade. She knew she couldn’t voice it in the way she wanted to as he had asked her not to. She would do so in other ways. The bracelet was one of them. “You will never be like him.” She whispered. Part of her was relieved in that moment that her exhaustion was beginning to show. This was the first time that those memories had resurfaced in months and she wanted them gone once more. “I am sure you know us well enough to distinguish who says what.” She added, trying to lighten her tone up more. She slowly reached a hand up to lightly pinch the one that brushed the hair from her face. “I am afraid I exploded your ego far too much for my own good. Who says I didn’t seduce you in hopes you would be the one to exhaust and get proper sleep?” She countered, a faint smile forming on her lips then. Her eyes slowly fell shut once more, though they didn’t open again. Her breathing evened out and her facial expression fully relaxed. She shifted towards him unknowingly in her sleep, yearning for his body heat. It was clear that nightmares wouldn’t be bothering her that evening.
 
(Sorry again it took a bit for me to respond, wanted to get some more things set up and I was trying to figure out exactly how I wanted to write it c: )

Although now Emory's eyes were closed, Rose's whisper just moments before had sent chills over her skin, with her expression that accompanied it. He never desired to see such a look upon her face, granted he knew not the extent of the weight of her abuse by Blaine's hands, the fact that she preferred him, a murderer over Blaine spoke certainly volumes. Emory, however, perhaps would not be able to have the heart to ask her, even if he was by no means an open book himself, he didn't want to stir up memories that made her uncomfortable or unhappy. Her safety, her happiness was all that he cared about, all that he strived now to accomplish so that she'd never have that expression on her face again. A small part of him had twisted with doubt, for who was he to try and accomplish such a thing? Even if she was happy now, that could easily change later.

His heavy eyelids opened slightly, Rose's counter to his previous smug words had managed to put a faint smile on his face, though as he looked at her it seemed as if she were asleep. The shift of her weight and warmth to come closer to him was welcome as he observed her in silence, his eyebrows furrowing as he turned his head to look up at the ceiling above him. By all means, Emory should be enjoying this moment, enjoying that she was by his side, that he could have a bit of happiness for once... but some part of him felt nervous. It was a coiling of emotion deep down within him, an anxiety that ripped the very little comfort of sleep that would have overtaken him. Was he nervous about how happy he was feeling? The emotion was a foreign, fleeting thing within his life. As a result, Emory was rarely, if ever happy; believing such happiness wouldn't be for him, that it would be quickly extinguished. I'm getting far too paranoid for my own good. Yes, that has to be it. He closed his eyes once more, forcing his tensing muscles to relax as his consciousness drifted eventually into the darkness at the back of his mind.
... Meanwhile in the Gallovan Estate ...​
Nestled close in the hillsides by the capital lay the Gallovan estate. The estate was elegant, massive and by all means a beauty to behold, lovingly taken care of by loyal staff and overseen by the ever benevolent Cyneheard Gallovan III, the current patriarch of the main family. The Gallovan's boasted massive wealth, inherited by previous generations of knights who had eventually rose into dukedom, granted such privilege by the royal crown, and such a prestigious reputation was known by all. In fact, the Gallovans were one of the main pillars of the kingdom's society, willingly allocating funds to anything that the king needed, and considering the strong patriarch was a serious man and fiercely loyal to the crown, one would expect his wife and children to also be of such noble intentions. With Demezla Gallovan being as lovely as her mother, and her younger brother Wymond Gallovan serving to become a knight, the family on the outside was seemingly perfect... but this was anything but, and the estate at this moment was currently recovering from a rather overwhelmed Cyneheard who was now confined to his bed after the man had collapsed upon seeing his daughter in the wretched state she had turned up in at his door.

Eunice, of course knew far more than her husband, making sure that she kept Cyneheard out of matters that she overseen. It wasn't as if the woman would expect her unruly toy to turn against her, but at the same time she didn't expect her own daughter to act so rash like a fool. Currently nursing a headache of her own, the woman was on one of the many balconies of the estate, drawing smoke from a pipe as her languid hazel gaze stared out over the beautiful view of the hillside, seated upon a chair she had dragged out from her bedroom, her ruby lips parting as she allowed the smoke to coil free. "...I should have known my daughter would be such a fool." She chided, annoyance settling upon her brow as her slender shoulders sagged, her eyes closing as she tilted her head back. Even if Demelza was incapable of speaking at the moment, Eunice knew enough from the cloying smell of perfume and ale where the foolish girl had ended up. Not that it matters. She at least learned a lesson this way. Demelza was an impulsive girl, ever since she was young. And much to Eunice's chagrin, her husband willingly indulged the little girl until she grew up to be an empty-headed woman who knew not to conduct herself with any sort of patience or planning. But, what else was she expecting from such horribly malformed creatures? Nay, she expected naught from them, no matter how long she'd lived, the fools she seen would always outdo themselves with their own stupidity. Demelza would get no sympathy from her, and if she remained a broken thing for the rest of her life, so be it. Eunice would not concern herself with a pawn who threw themselves into a situation of danger.

As Eunice lounged upon her chair, her mind milling about with irritated thoughts, a shift in the atmosphere had caused the woman's eyes to open and settle upon the faint ripple in the air beside her, followed by a cloaked head, then shoulders and eventually a cloaked figure landing with ease upon the balcony's railing. A sigh left Eunice's lips, "Ah, Agrus... it's certainly been far too long. I see you've been... busy." Her eyes drifted down to the mage's hands, knowing full well the damage of his foolishness would cause even upon him, blackened skin where it had once been pale and healthy, and she could see the flashing violet of his eyes underneath his cowl. He's sinking in far too deep. Not that it mattered, after all, Eunice hadn't expected to see Agrus until the man died, the fact that he was holding on for so long showed some sort of interesting tenacity he insisted on clinging to. The man grinned broadly at her, the flash of his teeth glinting in the pale moonlight as he nodded his head rapidly up and down, jerking, swift motions being unnatural and crazed, "Yes, yes! Of course I would be, after all, you and I are to bring in a glorious enlightenment, are we not?"

Eunice glanced down at her pipe, twirling it within her hands as if bored, "Enlightenment...? Oh right, your enlightenment for these people?" A twist of a smile crossed her face as she peered at the man, currently still bobbing his head up and down with excitement. The poor fool. Agrus had at one time been a sane man, one who she was quite fond of... and one who she allowed to drink deep from the abyss of knowledge she held. It turned him into this poor fool, with only his previous goal still intact but only just barely. From what she barely remembered, his previous intentions had been to travel the lands peacefully, to show the benefits of having magic, but that would simply be boring would it not? The chaos and destruction he had wrought had done wonders for Eunice's entertainment, from the bits and pieces she read from reports given to her current husband, he was nothing if not efficient in the way he killed, the way he destroyed. She wondered if he would be crushed at the creature he'd become now? He probably would. Imagining the sight caused her slight smile to broaden, though this too would be quick to fade as she spoke, "So, tell me... from what I've heard you've destroyed Freycrest, right?"

There was a pause and then more enthusiastic nodding, the mage spreading his arms wide, "Yes! Oh, though I've forgotten to share, one has been enlightened!" This caused Eunice to pause, her eyes narrowing, prompting the mage's speech to become more frenzied as he described the "man with gold eyes, blessed by flames". This caused Eunice to lean back in her chair, staring up at the moon within the sky. The only person who could have possibly have the gold eyes that her maniac companion was speaking of was... Emory May. "...Well now, that's certainly a surprise. Though, a welcome one..." He lips curved up in a wicked smile, chuckling, "Oh yes, things have gotten far more interesting. By all means, tell me more." After all, why wouldn't Eunice want updates on the man who once was a sniveling, pitiful whelp. How fun it would be to torture and push him past his breaking points again; a cruel game indeed, one that Eunice enjoyed playing on her own terms.
...​
By the time morning had come around, Emory unfortunately couldn't sleep peacefully. Flashes of nightmares from his past danced before his eyes, from long dead family members to the memories surrounding the accursed Black Market, even if he remained perfectly still, there was no denying that his mind had decided to torture him during the night. When his eyes finally opened, Emory at first couldn't recognize where he was, the room felt unfamiliar, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he struggled to calm his breathing, feeling a panic surging within him that was difficult to suppress. The presence at his side was perhaps the one thing that made him recoil the most, the man swiftly sitting up within his bed, tension in his limbs as he turned to look at Rose... only to recognize her within his panicked haze. That was right, he was... safe. He wasn't in the Black Market, he wasn't being harmed... he was safe.

Even if his mind recognize this fact, the man's body was slow to react, each tensed limb having to slowly unwind as he glanced down at his discarded clothes still laying upon the floor from during the night. A grimace crossed his face as he began to move, his lower back flaring with pain as he struggled to not react to the newfound soreness in his body, though this only resulted in him eventually just sitting upon the edge of his bed, struggling to get his heart rate under control and for his limbs to stop shaking. The darkness in his eyes was as clear as day, tainted with residual panic that was slowly beginning to subside and fade. Although Emory hadn't had nightmares for awhile, the recent one of course was all too quick to drag him back into how intense and disorientating it could be for him, leaving him with nothing but his own fears and anxieties when he did wake up in the morning. Thankfully, at the very least he hadn't been thrashing in his sleep, for that would only occur when it was far too vivid for him to differentiate his dreams from reality; but such occurrences were quite rare and had only happened in his early years when he'd been freed from the Black Market's clutches.
 
you are completely fine! no worries whatsoever c: ))

Rose’s mind had been quiet for the evening. Whether it be due to the activities of the night prior or something else, she found a peace that she had been yearning for. Her dreams didn’t recount the horrors that she had experienced under Blaine nor the trauma she suffered from Freycrest. Instead her mind took her back to the days living in the kingdom. It was one of the days that she remembered fondly from her childhood. Her mother insisted on them having a day off, taking the entire family to one of the lakes not far from the castle. Her father had grumbled the entire time she coaxed him to come, complaining that he had work that needed to be done. With enough convincing though, he finally agreed. Her sisters had been more than willing. It was one of the few times that her entire family managed to get along without any issues. It was also one of the last days she had been able to go out with her mother. The queen had fallen ill not long after, suffering from her health on and off. She died a few years later due to it.

Her mind only focused on the food from that day though. It was something she had been desperately missing. Her body was in a state of complete relaxation while she slept, shoulders slumped heavily against the bed. Her mouth was partly open as well, soft breaths escaping from it. Her expression matched the ease in her body. Her eyes were closed still, but any ounce of tension she had before was gone. There wasn’t the slight reminder of the pain remembering Blaine caused her. It had been a while since she had been this calm, though most of it was due to Emory. The security she felt around him allowed for this to happen. She had only ever felt like this around her family and even then it was never to this extent. Due to that, it took quite a bit to break her from her sleep. But Emory’s sudden shifting away was enough to do such a thing.

She opened her eyes rather slowly, the bright light from the windows far too much for her at that moment. She let out a soft grumble, hurrying her face into the pillow that she had resting her head on. Her hair laid down her back, slightly twisted and knitted from the night prior. She noticed something missing in that moment that she hadn’t been able to place before. It didn’t take long for her to realize that it was Emory that moved away from her. She slowly forced herself to lift her head once more, squinting her eyes until they adjusted to the difference in light. The sound of his rapid breathing filled the quiet air of the empty room. She slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, her back aching slightly as she did so. It took her a few moments to recognize why she was lacking clothes. She glanced towards Emory and then towards the room surrounding them, mouth forming an ‘o’ as the memories flooded back. Her cheeks tinted a light pink. She forced her eyes to focus solely on Emory then, his breathing still rather rapid.

She could easily see the tension in his muscles, finally noticing all of the scars littering his skin in the light. A soft frown came to her lips and she shifted to move closer to him. “Emory, are you alright?” Her voice was quiet and heavy with sleep as she asked the question. She hesitantly reached a gentle hand out to rest upon one of his shoulders. She could feel the shakiness of him as she did so. It only concerned her even more. She was aware that he always had issues with sleep, but didn’t know the full extent of his nightmares. It was something she would definitely want to know in order to attempt helping him. She leaned forward to place a gentle kiss to his shoulder blade as a small reassurance. “I can run down to get you some tea if that might help or I could get a bath running for you.” She offered the only two suggestions she could think of that might offer him some reprieve from what he was currently feeling.
 
The man's mind was reeling, although still within the grasp of reality, it felt as if the room was closing in on him, the heat of bodies suffocating him. Even as he was trying to keep himself above the haze, he could almost hear the laughter, the sounds of flesh against flesh, the disorientating smoke; a man's grip, a woman's jeer. These sensations would not leave him, causing the man's struggling composure to slip deeper into panic only to freeze as he felt Rose's presence come closer. Stay away- no, no it's just her. Calm down. Rational thought battled against self preservation within the man's mind, a thin layer of sweat beginning to line his forehead, discomfort flaring to life as he made another attempt to stand, only for the pain to flare further from sore muscles causing more memories buried deep beginning to claw at his sanity. Of course, being in his panicked state and struggling to keep his grip on reality, Rose's touch only served to make the man flinch under her gentle touch, quivering pitifully as she moved even closer, prompting the man's panicked state to intensify in the hazy blur.

The kiss upon his shoulder however, was a step too much. Even if it was meant for reassurance, the sensation of hands grasping at him, nails sinking into his skin was enough to cause the man to whip around, his hands landing on her shoulders and although he was attempting to be as gentle as possible, he had pushed her away from him a bit roughly, his grip trembling as he couldn't meet her eyes, merely holding her away. His chest heaved as he struggled to bring breath into his lungs, the fear coiling around his heart, pulling and tearing... even if he knew he shouldn't be acting this way, that he was perfectly fine, his mind was acting irrational; out of control. This position only lasted for perhaps a few moments, but it felt like an eternity for the man as he was unable to respond, the sound of his panicked breathing filling the tense atmosphere until his eyes closed tightly, one deep breath... then another... and another...

Emory slowly then put his forehead on her shoulder, her warmth although still making the man uneasy was enough to make him focus on where he currently was, who he currently was with. His grip upon her shoulders eventually slackened as his breathing, still quickened had begun to slow as he spoke, his voice quivering, a broken sound, "Please... just stay like this..." Just for a few moments, until he could bring himself together. Moving at the moment wasn't too much of an option for him now, paralyzed by residual fear that had yet to leave. It was a rare moment of weakness, one that Emory would have preferred for her to never see, but the cracks within his mind remained and would eventually reopen, pulling him back into the nightmare he tried his best to keep at bay. Rose certainly was by no means responsible, the man would never blame her for she was the only person who made his day to day life tolerable. No, this was his own weakness that he had yet to overcome; cowering in the midst of his terror and trying to bury it deep down when he was sane enough to rise to his feet again and once more regain his cold composure.

The young lord did not cry, merely allowing the waves of terror to crash over him until it would eventually subside, and once it had, only then had the man slowly raised his head again, his face appearing quite haggard and pale, the pale gold of his eyes having a haunted, darkened look to him. Right now, he had not the strength to muster up any composure, unable to hide his fear as he mumbled, "I'm sorry.." Yes, apologize for the inconvenience of his useless self. After all, no one needed to rise to meet the new day with... this. His grip on her shoulders finally fully fell away, moving his hands as fast as possible away from her, only just realizing his trembling grip probably gave too much away... as well as his other panicked actions.
 
Rose hadn’t expected the other male to turn around in the quick manner that he had. It wasn’t the first time in which she had comforted him, but it was the first time she allowed herself to press a kiss to his shoulder. She soon realized how careless of an attempt at reassurance it was. She mentally cursed for not realizing the triggering effect of her own hands. If she knew one thing, she knew Emory was still wary of touch even when it was her own. She had been rather careful with not startling him due to that. Even when she reached for his hand during the days, she made sure not to grab it too suddenly. She blamed the cloud that was still fogging her mind. The tiredness from her just awaking was overwhelming and enough to make her want to close her eyes once more. The manner in which Emory pushed her away broke all sense of exhaustion she had been feeling.

For a moment, she found herself back in a place she had done everything to push away. The memories that had finally stirred the night before were beginning to ease their way to the surface again. They whispered at the edge of her mind and pressed against the wall she had constructed to protect herself from them. She could feel that warm breath upon her face, the puffing stench of bourbon burning her nostrils like it wasn’t a memory. Like she was reliving it again. She forced herself to blink, eyes focusing on Emory. The grip on her shoulders was by no means tight, but the manner in which Emory held her broke that wall she had built. It was a memory she wished to never relive. The things that followed, the things Blaine had done were terrible. This was different. This was Emory. He would never hurt her.

Her eyes gazed at him, wide yet unreadable. A shiver had gone down her spine, hair on her arms raised. The air in the room wasn’t cold. She couldn’t blame it on that. Her heart was pounding against her chest and her breath felt as if it was being held in her throat. There was a weight on her chest that she hadn’t felt in years, one she couldn’t quite place just yet. But the longer he held her there, the more that she stated at him in his panicked state, she recognized what it was. Fear. It wasn’t the intense fear that she had dealt with while being with Blaine, nor was it the fear she felt while she was in Freycrest. This was different. It was unlike anything she had experienced before. It seized her in that moment and held her tight, squeezing the air from her lungs. Her body didn’t shake. No, she refused to tremble in the slightest. Her mind fought through the emotion to remind herself who was the one she needed to worry about in that moment.

She finally forced herself to blink once more as he leaned in to rest his head on her shoulder. She could feel her own breath returning to her lungs even as his was still ragged. She didn’t touch him though, refusing to lift her arms and wrap him tightly. Worry over his reaction to it controlled her mind. She stayed like that, unmoving, until he lifted his head slowly. The toll this morning had taken on his mind was easily read just by the way in which he appeared. She swallowed, shaking her head slowly. “It’s alright Emory.” Her words were quiet, no evidence of the fear she felt showing. She forced her tone to be the same reassuring one she always put forth. “Would you like to talk with me about it or would you like me to give you some space?” She inquired. Normally she would allow herself to push forward in her questioning in order to help him. She couldn’t find that in her though. She slowly lifted her arms to cover her chest, somewhat conscious at the bare nature then. Her lower half was still covered by the sheet.
 
Rose's question seemed to elicit no response from the man; his mind slowly trying to bring itself together. Lifting himself out of the haze of panic was difficult, his haggard appearance doing him little favors in attempting to appear like he was fine. Emory took in another hesitant breath, slow and deliberate like the others he'd taken to try to calm himself, still attempting to form some sort of coherent response in his mind, only for a bitter expression to cross his face, certainly not quite the best response, but as his mind was catching up to reality, to the moment he was in... he'd shown more of such a shameful side of himself to her. He probably would have certainly been feeling worse if he'd noticed the minute changes in her body earlier when he'd pushed her away.

"...There's nothing to talk about." Dismissing his trauma outright, not the best option he could take either, but relaying the memories cloaked within his own nightmares would probably do more harm than good. Plus, now that he was more alert and aware of his surroundings, his eyes had dropped to Rose's slow movements to cover her chest from view, causing him to immediately look away, a coiling of nausea beginning to turn his stomach. Of course, when he fully calmed down, he wouldn't have reacted in such a way, in fact he probably would have been just as pleasant and playful as he had been during the night, but not right now. He couldn't bring himself to even muster up the slightest smile. He felt uncomfortable, the flicker of old memories and emotions associated with them flaring to life in the back of his conscious mind.

A few more silent moments passed and it was only then had Emory forced himself to move, giving Rose some more space away from himself, a silent boundary he was beginning to put up for now. He needed to try and compose himself again, he needed to act better, far better for her benefit. As the man stood from the bed, he crossed the room to his wardrobe, although having yet to clothe himself, right now his priority was giving Rose some semblance of modesty before himself. With how frazzled he was, he'd rather not risk having her be hurt accidentally by any reactions he may have, considering his mind still had yet to settle. Eventually, Emory had secured one of his tunics, guessing that it would be quite big enough to suffice; the man had moved back over to her, his movements stiff as he had gently handed over the tunic to her, his face still rather pale.

A tinge of hesitation settled within him only to speak, "I'm sorry... I just need a little bit more time to.. think." Hah, as if thinking was good enough to describe. Piece himself together? To force the broken pieces to resemble some sort of normalcy? He was lying to himself if he thought that this was merely going to easily fade away. It never was easy, and he had already turned the mood so very tense that he felt guilty. Nonetheless, the look in his eyes was void of the usual calm, instead still remained a guilty and fearful light.
 
so i am thinking that this and the nightmares trigger Rose’s anxiety to a point where the teas she normally takes just don’t help anymore. she decides to ask one of the sentries if they know of anything, which they very hesitantly offer something from the black market as a solution. she takes it and it help, but it is how she slowly gets involved with the black market))

Seeing the change in Emory didn’t help calm Rose’s mind any. She had done her best to shove the feelings that her had brought forth away, trying to reassure herself that it was Emory and not Blaine. He had assured her he didn’t want to turn out like Blaine, that he didn’t want to hurt her in such ways. It wasn’t as if she had talked about such things with him. She had always done well in pushing her trauma aside to focus on helping those who needed it more. But at that moment, it was still the one thing plaguing her. No matter how hard she reassured herself mentally, the grip he had on her arms and the way he shoved her back brought up far too many unsavory memories. It was taking quite a bit in her to keep her composure. She just kept reminding herself that Emory was far more important at that current moment in time. He deserved her undivided attention. After all, he had been through far worse than she had.

The thought alone made her swallow as her breathing finally seemed to even out once again. She could feel the fear still at the back of her mind. It resembled Blaine in a terrifying way with that wicked, lazy smile spread on its lips and those emotionless eyes boring down at her. She shiver slightly, arms tightening across her chest then. She blinked in some surprise at his assurance that there was nothing needed for him to talk of. She doubted it to be true, but she didn’t press him anymore. “If you change your mind, you know I am always here to talk.” Her words were still rather quiet compared to how they normally were. She also didn’t push him like she might’ve before. It was one of the few times that she was respecting his boundaries, though it came from those unpleasant emotions being brought forth. It was hot she ended up becoming with Blaine. She was agreeable, almost like the perfect little trophy wife for him to show off.

She turned her head to watch as he moved across the room, somewhat grateful to see that he was grabbing a tunic for her. She would’ve moved to grab the silk gown she had worn the night before, but the sheerness of it would’ve probably only made things worse. He seemed absolutely disgusted with her at the current moment in time. She took in another gentle breath to force herself to stay somewhat calm. She gladly watched for the tunic and quickly moved to slide it on. She did the buttons as high as they would go. It covered her completely and brought an air of comfort to herself. It held Emory’s familiar scent, something that would comfort her normally but she felt as though her mind had been shoved off its normal track. She hadn’t a clue how to adjust it or to get it right again. She shifted from where she sat on the bed, slowly letting her legs dangle over the side before standing. She moved to grab the gown that had been discarded on the floor from the night prior.

“You do not have to apologize Emory,” Her tone finally began to shake, something she couldn’t prevent. “I will give you some space. If you do not feel up to going out today, that is alright as well. I do not want for you to feel pressured to do anything.” She decided in that moment that she needed to leave before she couldn’t keep that exterior up any longer. Her fingers had curled into the gown that she held between them, a barrier between them and her palm. Otherwise her nails would’ve been digging deeply into it, most likely cutting it. She moved towards the door to his room, her steps almost unheard as they pattered on the floor. She paused before opening it. “Just come find me when you are feeling better.” Her words were almost a whisper, her composure finally breaking. She quickly opened the door and stepped through. She shut it carefully behind her and hurried to her own room. She made sure the door was securely closed once inside. She then allowed for her own breathing to quicken. It felt as though she were having a panic attack, but she was unsure.
 
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(Sounds good, go for it!)

Her words barely registered in the man's mind, eyes not truly looking at her anymore, being ripped back to memories long buried. However, it was when her tone began to shake, that had grabbed some semblance of attention from the young lord as his attention fixated upon her. Something was wrong, he knew for a fact that something was wrong, and even if this normally would put alarm in the man's heart; to try and fix whatever had happened... he couldn't bring himself to. Not this time. He knew that was fear, Emory was no fool, not being a stranger to it himself and having seen it in others. Maybe when his mind was clearer, he would actively try to appease her, but at this time... he couldn't even feel like he could move. The effort to get up to his wardrobe and grab the tunic was enough on its own, a shakiness beginning to start once more in his legs, and it was only when she had closed the door had the man allowed himself to retreat to his bed, granted looking at the ruined sheets was enough to make him want to gag.

The Black Market's sheets would always smell like... no, don't think anymore. His chest heaved, struggling to bring breath into his lungs as the terror had sunk in deep. Once more, he could feel hands and fingernails, smell sweat and hear laughter.

"Isn't that pathetic? He's crying again, hey, Lawrence! Get him to stop, it's ruining the mood!"
"It hurts, huh? Suck it up, I'll be done soon."
"You're already done? Here, this'll help, just stay still..."
"Damn it, stop struggling!"
"Ah shit, he's gone and pissed himself. Ain't cleaning that up- oi, Eunice-"
"If you bite me, I'll kill you, understand? Now be a good boy, open your mouth and be still.."

Disjointed sentences from different unwanted clients had swarmed the man's brain, different scenarios, different rooms within the pleasure ward, all sharing the same smell, the same god awful smell. He could feel their eyes burning holes into him, causing more sweat to break up across his skin, his teeth gritting as a pitiful whimper left his lips, his hands coming up to his head, fingernails locking around his black hair as tears finally begun to spring free, trickling down his face as his body shook, unable to fully suppress the quiet sobs that finally began to leave him. No more. Please. That thought was a frequent one, he'd not had a panic attack this bad since he was a boy. Was it what he'd done with Rose that triggered it? No, that couldn't be... his mind was already unraveling during the day before, going over what he'd suffered in the past was enough to cause him intense discomfort. It was just unfortunate timing, that was all. As guilty as he felt earlier, Emory right now couldn't bring himself to even leave the floor much less begin to get up to lock his door, not yet.
...​
"You're useless! How many times do I have to repeat myself?" A flash of angry green eyes bore down with disapproval, he could remember the stinging on his cheek from his mother's slap, her long, painted nails leaving small bleeding welts in its place, "All you have to do is just sit there and let them do what they please; every single customer that leaves here unsatisfied is one that we won't be getting back. Do you understand?" His mother fury was enough to make him cower, her steps although he knew no longer would even so much as grace his ears drew near, the smell of her perfume burning his nose, a sickeningly sweet smell. "Sometimes I really think you must be a half-wit. Can't even remember to follow basic instructions... honestly..." He felt her hand grip one of his bare shoulders, nails digging into exposed flesh and wrenching the skinny shoulder back, enough to perhaps cause the younger him to cry out at that time, "You really were a mistake." The seething hatred in his mother's voice was like poison flowing into the boy's veins, and she didn't visibly seem to show regret. After all, why should she? Emory was the product of a misstep, a miscalculation in a night fueled by alcohol and her secret affair. He was never supposed to be born, he was nothing more than a bastard; life should have never been graced into his miserable body. And he never, not once had performed satisfactory enough in her eyes... not that it should have been, he was nothing more than just a young boy at that time, supposed to be innocent and untouched and she should have protected him. But, she failed as his mother, left him to be ravaged and broken until he was a husk, wasn't it justified that he would turn against her eventually? That he would slaughter her?

His mind seemed all too eager to remind him of what he'd done to Maridel. During his half-brother's party, she was the very last person he had sought out. He remembered her cowering figure in the plush room that she shared with the former Lord May; her eyes round with horror at her blood splattered son slowly approaching her, the rapier in his grip dripping with blood as her lips trembled, "E-Emory, please d-don't-" He raised the rapier, plunging the blade into her chest, granted it just missed her heart, the squelch of blood beginning to swell upward, her painfilled cry was like music to his ears... how could he ever forget such a liberating feeling? He remembered plunging the blade again, and again... over and over, repeatedly despite her struggling, the strength he had in his limbs was solely fueled by adrenaline and when the frenzy was over... she was unrecognizable. A woman so disfigured, splayed upon the ground in a gross display that would make perhaps the most hardened soul recoil in horror... ah, he couldn't... he didn't want to remember that.
...​
His eyes closed as more hot tears began to run down his cheeks as he sobbed uncontrollably. The broken sound being muffled as his forehead pressed against the very edge of the bed, hunched over and trembling. What sort of man was he? And he had the nerve to try and be happy? A pathetic soul such as himself was doomed to suffer underneath the weight of his sins. Happiness was always supposed to be fleeting, never to be obtained. And he was not a fool, he had placed fear in Rose earlier, though he knew not how, he knew not why... but he had. His mother was right, he was useless. Though, these thoughts were a result of his mind beginning to unravel and flow, spilling out and overwhelming him now. The foulness of his deeds, the sheer extent of the violation he'd gone through, all of these things were making him begin to drown.
... A few hours later...​
The manor was eerily quiet, aside from Viola going about her daily chores for the day, the maid couldn't help but cast worried glances upward toward the stairway. Emory's room was still firmly closed, and if one would check the door, it was still firmly locked. She could have sworn she heard sobbing from behind the door when she had first arrived, however despite trying to open the door, and calling out the man's name, he would not respond. He'd not even eaten much of anything as of late, which was also another worry in the woman's mind, which made her remember worryingly of the time when Emory first had arrived to the estate. He had even refused to eat much of anything back then, and when it was offered to him he would begin to cry, and even at night whenever the maid would attend to Maridel's children, the rare times she would not be hovering nearby, Emory would always without fail be reduced to a pitiful sniveling ball, his crying was silent. And it truly seemed, there was nothing but misery surrounding the young boy, and now... even if she didn't much like when the man was cold, it was certainly far better than him drowning in his misery. Then there was the other matter, was Rose alright too?
 
The breaths that Rose took were more like gasps as she tried to get herself under control. She knew there wasn’t a reason for her to be acting this way nor was there a reason for her to be upset. Emory had suffered far more than she had. She was well aware of that even by just the little she had been told. She should be finding it within herself to comfort him. At least, she believed she should. Her legs were shaking slightly, steps a bit staggered as she made her way towards her bed. Her lack of breath was causing for the familiar lightheaded need to come back to her. It made her feel even more uncomfortable. It was as if everything she had worked to shove away was coming back in the worst way possible. She felt absolutely terrible in that moment; yet she couldn’t move past it. She knew she needed to feel these emotions in order to gain an ounce of peace later in the day.

She slowly took a seat on the bed, lifting her arms to rest carefully behind her head in her best attempt to catch her break. She wouldn’t allow herself to panic too much over it. Emory hadn’t a clue what she had gone through. He didn’t know the small tiggers that she would experience. She wanted to keep it that way. She had done so well to move past everything before. She managed to keep a smile on her face even when her mind was screaming at her to let it out. Her mind was racing through the situation that came earlier, replaying the way in which Emory grabbed her and shoved her away. She could tell he hadn’t meant to hurt her in doing so. He had tried to be careful in his movement. He did want to hurt you. He didn’t know. Don’t blame him. The thoughts fought back against what was threatening to spill over.

She hadn’t realized the tears the pricked the corners of her eyes and began to slowly fall at that moment. She had been far too focused on getting her breathing under control. Even with her best efforts, it still felt like she was huffing for a proper breath. She could feel herself beginning to calm down more as the time passed. She let her arms drop back to her side, reaching her right hand up to wipe at the tears that were still streaming down her cheeks. She closed her eyes for a few moments and allowed her head to drop. “You are alright. It isn’t Blaine. He isn’t Blaine.” She whispered to herself in a rushed attempt to help ease her mind even more. She continued to repeat those reassuring phrases to herself as she sat there. She hadn’t a clue as to how much time had passed. She just opened her eyes once more when she found her breathing had finally returned to normal.

She stood once more, fingers moving to unbutton the tunic Emory had given her. She allowed it to drop to the floor before she moved to set a bath for herself. She didn’t bother putting any extra oils in it. She just climbed into the warm water and let herself soak. With her mind off of everything, she now was recognizing the soreness from the activities they had done before. She needed this in order to help with it. Otherwise she would be having issues for days. She stayed in the bath until the water went cold, forcing herself to stand and dry off. She didn’t want to go out like she had planned the day before. She was more than happy to just stay how she currently was. She could just return to painting as it certainly would be enough to take her mind off of what she was still feeling. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body carefully. She then moved to her wardrobe. She pulled out an older gown, one she had gifted herself years prior. It was light enough for the hot temperatures, but didn’t expose too much of her skin. She pulled it on once she was dry.

She allowed for her hair to fall over her shoulders a bit messily, not bothering to fix it. She slowly made her way from the room then. She paused near the stairs, eyes looking towards Emory’s room. The door was still closed and she was sure he was still in it. She forced herself to look away and began to make her way down the stairs. She didn’t bother going to the dining hall. Everything from this morning and turned her stomach away from the hunger it had been feeling. She wasn’t even in the mood for some tea. She just returned to the discarded supplies from the day before. She opened the lid to the paint canister and dipped her paintbrush it. She then slowly began to paint. Her movements were slow and she was completely silent as she did so.
 
Viola had perked up as soon as she spotted Rose at the top of the stairway from her position near the kitchen, granted the woman hadn't bothered yet to start making anything due to the mood that the mansion had at this moment in time. It felt... heavy, and uncomfortable. It made her uneasy just standing there, her anxiousness impeding her work, and yet as she looked at Rose and seeing her pass the dining hall, she couldn't bring herself to approach, not yet. The silence of her merely settling down to paint, her slow, deliberate movements... something was wrong. And yet, the maid knew not the words to even begin to ask or even if she should ask. Just as she was about to step closer, a greeting upon her lips to perhaps try and lighten the mood, to try and attempt to offer to see if she could get anything for her... the door to Emory's room had creaked open, granted the man had clothed himself once more to some semblance of normalcy, he was dressed like he was going elsewhere which boggled Viola's mind until she recognized the attire. Typically worn when he was going to the Black Market. Ah.

The maid instinctively stepped back as his heavy steps echoed down the stairway, she could see that his eyes were unfocused, heavy. This caused chills to go down Viola's spine as she lowered her head automatically to the floor, his presence alone feeling heavy and unsettling just as much as it had been prior to Rose even showing up at the estate, as if he was losing himself again. What had happened? Viola was so bewildered that she couldn't even understand just what had occurred between the two to cause such extreme changes in both of them, were they not supposed to have shared the night together? Did something horrible happen? As Viola watched through the corner of her eye, Emory had merely passed by Rose, not even pausing to speak to her which made more questions linger in the woman's mind as the man opened the front door and firmly closed it behind him, leaving the mansion in nothing but silence. She could hear his faint retreating footsteps from the mansion's door, unable to see his face due to her looking away, but his eyes alone had been enough to make her look away. I hope he doesn't do anything rash... But then again, whenever he left in silence he typically wanted to bury himself in his less than clean "work", and judging how heavy the atmosphere seemed to be around the man, she would expect him to come home reeking of blood if not covered in it. He only did such things when his mind was not clear; or when he was furious. It was a less than healthy outlet.

Biting her bottom lip, Viola hesitantly and slowly began to approach Rose, eyebrows furrowing as she hesitantly spoke, "Lady Barclay..." She paused, attempting to formulate her next sentence with care. Obviously, Rose was not alright, that was clear just from the unsettling air that still lingered. "Do you need for me to get you anything?" A polite question, for she knew not if she could ask Rose any personal questions; no of course she couldn't. She couldn't possibly overstep her boundaries could she? But, how long would she continue to sit back and do nothing? A frown soon crossed her face as she closed her eyes, mustering up some courage as she stepped closer, settling down next to Rose as she hesitantly wrapped her arms around the young woman, a comforting hug, or an attempt at one. She spoke gently, "You need not tell me what happened, but just know that I am here to support you if you need me to." That was right, Rose was the lady of the house, and these were words that she had wanted to tell Emory as well but never had the courage to do so. She was still here for the both of them, for they both were objects of her concern, they both deserved to be happy, and seeing them both in such worrying states was enough to make her anxious too.
 
Rose paused in the middle of the brushstroke she had been painting when she heard the creaking of the door upstairs. She turned her head to look over her shoulder only to see Emory stepping out. He was dressed in attire he wouldn’t normally wear around the house. It immediately clicked in her mind he had plans to go out. She hadn’t a clue as to where but it worried her enough just thinking about it. He hadn’t been in the right mindset that morning to stand being around her. A bundle of emotions coiled in her stomach, twisting it more than it had been earlier. It was enough to make her feel as if she was going to be sick. She hadn’t s clue as to why it was all bothering her so much. She knew that he was completely different from what her mind was prompting her to believe. There was no reason for her to continuously be taken back into her memories. After all, it was Emory. She knew him well enough and loved him. She should be taking care of him, not nursing her own mind.

She watched as he watched down the stairs, the sound of his footsteps being the only thing echoing in the quiet halls of the mansion. She opened her mouth to speak and ask him where he was off to, but he just brushed past her as if she didn’t exist. Her heart clenched while he did so, her mouth immediately shutting. Her hand dropped to be by her side with the paintbrush still in it. The paint dropped from the brush onto the floor, but she didn’t notice. Her eyes were fixed on him walking right out the door. A lump had risen in her throat and she felt like she was going to be sicker in that moment. It was exactly what Blaine had done before. Despite her assurances he would never be like him, she knew that these little moments were lining up with it far too well. She absolutely despised it. Her body began to tremble lightly and she could feel the breath in her lungs leaving. She did her best to calm down, but it was getting worse again.

It was only when Viola came to her side that she couldn’t hold it together anymore. Her breaths turned into gentle gasps. She leaned into the other woman as she took the deepest breaths she could to calm down. “I-I do not know what happened,” Her words were stutters, though her panic was clear. “He woke up and was not himself. I do not know if it was what we had done last night, if it resurfaced terrible memories.” She had to pause for a few moments to catch her breath once more. The paintbrush slipped from her hand then and fell to the floor. “He shoved me back some and it was like I was back. It was like I was back with Blaine.” She gasped out. She couldn’t blame Emory for it. The other male didn’t know. Her face was beginning to redden as she struggled for breath still. “I gave him space because I thought it would be best. H-He—“ She broke off, unable to continue. Some tears were forming at the corner of her eyes again, eyes burning due to them. She just leaned into Viola, pressing her face into her shoulder. She was doing everything she could to remind herself that she was still there, that she was alright.
 
Viola wasn't too surprised with Rose's reaction, instead judging alone from the uncomfortable atmosphere that Emory left behind, this was only to be expected. However, as Rose began to lean into the maid and began to relay the source of her anxiety, the woman's expression only was filled with sympathy. Gently, the woman began to rub Rose's back as she had begun to cry, eventually after a few moments had passed had the maid begun to speak, keeping her tone as gentle as possible, "Have you told him, Rose?" A rare moment where she would drop the honorific for Rose. However, if Emory wasn't to know about the sheer extent of abuse that Rose had suffered, perhaps he would continuously unknowingly trigger such memories for her. Granted, Emory never struck Viola as the type to be gentle. But, he had been trying desperately for Rose, she could tell alone in the way he had spoke to her, so surely... surely he hadn't hurt her right?

"Had he hurt you?" That was her next question, gentle and calm as she would not pass judgement. More silence between her questions was given freely as now the maid had gently pushed some wayward strands of hair out of Rose's face, just like she would have done for any of her children as she tried to form a proper response, one that certainly wouldn't excuse Emory's actions; but to explain what had happened... and what he was going to do. As much as she didn't want to possibly sour the way Rose saw Emory, she needed to know some truth.

"Lord May- Emory... Emory is a strong man, but at the same time a broken one. Though he'd not been this way in quite some time." She bit her bottom lip, a surge of discomfort settling in her chest as she said quieter, "He's not in a good way right now, so I fear he's... gone to the Black Market. That is what he usually does when he becomes mentally unwell... and he may go out to kill. Though do not blame yourself, he needs as much time to recover as well as yourself." She knew these words would perhaps do little to ease the situation, but it needed to be known.

(a bit rushed, trying to fit into my break :c )
 
you are all good! c: ))

Rose slowly shifted to wrap her arms around Viola, something that she didn’t think she had ever done before. She felt lost in the current moment, drowning in everything she had worked so hard to pull herself out of. The way she acted from the moment she had gotten to the manor had been an mirage. She had been dying underneath it all, her memories far too much for her to handle. Over the time that she spent here, she found herself beginning to move past it. She was able to reassure herself that nothing would come to harm her here. Emory was her security blanket. Everything he had told her, the way the two acted around each other. He had been the one to help her move past the torments of her own mind. She couldn’t believe the slightest incident caused for it to come crashing down once more. The anxiety was far too much for her and her breathing was still ragged. Her fingers curled into the back of the dress Viola was wearing. For the first time in years, she felt as though she was a little kid again.

She shook her head at the first question asked of her. “N-No. He has so much going on within himself. I couldn’t force my issues on him as well.” She tried to explain, trying to justify her reasoning for pushing it all inside. “I had moved past it. I-I thought I had healed. Then he mentioned Blaine last night and it all came tumbling back.” She added in a whisper. Seeing her former husband at her own funeral had filled her with rage at the time. She wanted to enact her revenge then and there. But now? Now she was exactly back to where she had been when she first arrived at the manor. She was still that young girl that Blaine had taken advantage of for her title. She was still that naive adult that thought she would fall in love with the man her father arranged her to marry. It couldn’t be any farther from the truth though. She took in a few more breaths as she once again tried to calm herself. Every attempt was harder for her though.

Hot tears were still marking her cheeks and her entire body was trembling. “He h-hadn’t. His grip was tight, but it was just the action. Blaine had done it multiple times before.” She whispered. The gentle touches of Viola’s hand as she brushed the hair back were soothing. It reminded her of something her own mother would’ve done to calm her. She slowly pulled her head back to gaze at the maid as she began to speak about what Emory was to do. Her own eyes had widened from remembering what she had. “I-I wish—“ She hiccuped gently, her chest still heaving slightly. “I wish I hadn’t pushed him. I am sure it triggered whatever memories might’ve been bothering him.” She managed to gain some strength in her voice then. It wasn’t a lot, but it was better than it had been. “He won’t be back for a while, will he?” Her own question was soft. It was something she recalled asking one of the court members when her father had to go away to handle things. Her mind truly felt plagued in that moment, more and more memories being brought forth.
 
"Rose," Viola began, her voice stern for a brief moment as Rose's fingers curled into her dress, the action she didn't mind, but her explanation was one that the woman would comment on, "Can you expect for whatever trust to last if you'd not reveal your torment as well? It's not just for this relationship alone, but in general." A gentle, motherly tone, firm and yet not too harsh was the one she was using, her hand still rubbing comforting circles on Rose's back, "How is Emory supposed to know how to behave around you? These things take so much more time for healing, I wish I myself was aware of this as well." She shook her head gently, granted the maid had suspected that Rose had been mistreated, though she would not know the extent herself of the abuse she'd suffered. "Though, I'm not saying to trust blindly of course... but the road to healing and a healthy relationship at that starts with trust, if fear keeps you at bay, then that will hinder you and this will keep happening." She closed her eyes as she leaned her head against Rose's, murmuring softly, "You both have a long way to go. But there is no shame in that."

As Rose begun to explain further what had happened, Viola's eyes opened as she thought, Ah, just like Emory when he was young. A single action was enough to bring it all back, though she still knew not what Emory had went through to cause such intense reactions to physical touch, whatever had happened was enough to make him react very negatively. "It's okay, it's okay..." She spoke softly in response, still remaining as gentle as she possibly could. She would then meet Rose's face as she pulled back, the widening of her eyes making the maid's heart twist, but then again this was to be expected. Emory's reputation preceded him; he was a known slaughterer, a butcher. The Black Market called upon his acts of assassination, as well as brutal torture, for he was horrifyingly efficient every time there was a request for him and considering he'd not visited the Black Market due to his all too recent events in Freycrest, a lot of clients had probably lined up and he probably wouldn't stop anytime soon. She knew well enough that she would have to clean bloody footsteps and fingerprints; making a mental note to stay later than she usually would to do so. Perhaps she would need to find something as well to hide the smell of blood too, after all she was no stranger to doing so. But, now was not the time to think about such things, Rose came first before everything else right now.

Gently, Viola's hands came up brush away the tears staining Rose's face, a gentle and sympathetic expression crossing her face, "This isn't your fault. This was... unfortunately inevitable." She turned her gaze to the painted entryway, the blue covering the ugly gray underneath and even under that there was formerly blood, "...Emory gets like this occasionally, none of this is your fault, so please don't think that it is. I did hope you would never have to see it though, perhaps in that I was too naive." A tinge of sadness managed to touch her face, a rare expression for sure as she strived to keep herself as warm and gentle as possible, proper and polite. She had hoped that Rose would be enough to keep such a dreadful side of Emory away, that he would be recovering for the better, but if he hesitated and refused to even allow anyone close enough to understand what was going on with him; how would they be able to recover, to heal?

Her final question had caused the maid's heart to drop, her eyes turning to look at Rose, only to shake her head. "No. I'm afraid not." Her own response was quiet, somber as she spoke gently, "He probably will be back around midnight, but..." She trailed off, not knowing if Rose would even want to see him when he inevitably would come back. Deciding not to continue with the sentence, she said gently, "But, he will be back at least. You shouldn't expect him to be gone for days, not like before. A-anyways, is there something I can get for you?" Emory simply wouldn't abandon Rose, Viola knew that much. But, he was blowing off some steam in perhaps one of the less healthy ways that he possibly could manage to do... she would not comment on it further though, no need to make Rose more upset than she already was.
 
The words that Viola spoke to her were harsh but true. Rose knew that, even if she didn’t want to hear them. She couldn’t continue to allow herself to suffer alone. Emory had worked to open himself up to her in a way that she didn’t think was possible. Even if he hadn’t allowed himself to fully explain the terrors he had been through, she could at least offer some of hers in return. Her breathing was beginning to calm more at the reassuring tone and the gentle patterns being traced on her back. “I just do not know how to tell him. I haven’t spoken with anyone about it before.” She spoke quietly, the realization dawning on her as she did so. It was unfortunately true. She allowed herself to keep it all hidden in her. Her journals had seen some of what she had experienced, but she stopped writing after a while. It was far too difficult to recount the pain. “I am sorry I hadn’t told you about it all sooner. I trust you dearly Viola. You remind me of my mother.” She confessed.

Each gentle action the maid would take was just another reminder of how her own mother had been. The thought sent a pant to her heart though she didn’t mind. She was experiencing enough pain at the moment to where she could handle such a thing. She allowed a soft breath to leave her lips, closing her eyes for a few moments. Her head was pounding at the familiar sign of a headache. Her body still trembled, but it wasn’t nearly as hard for her to catch her breath. Her spouts of panic had been truly unhelpful to her health and she knew she would have to be careful with it going forward. Another hiccup escaped her, her tears still falling. They were much slower than they had been before. Viola’s touch to brush them away was an encouraging sign to force herself to stop crying. She leaned gently into the touch, much like she had with her hug earlier.

“I do not believe you were naive. Perhaps I was.” She mused. She thought that she might’ve been lucky enough to be the one to change Emory, to help move him away from the darkness he consistently experienced. Thinking back on it now, she couldn’t have been more naive. “He has told me some of what he has experienced. He never goes into much detail if he can help it. Then this morning,” She paused to shake her head lightly. “This morning I didn’t even recognize him. He didn’t seem to realize where he was or even who I was.” She confessed. She turned her gaze away from Viola for a moment, unable to meet her eyes. “I thought that I had been helping him. He seemed to be doing so much better.” She added. It hurt to know she hadn’t managed to help him overcome some of what he was experiencing. She thought they were working towards something better together. Viola was right. The thought crossed her mind quickly.

“We were supposed to go on a picnic today. I wanted to go to the mountains to see the flower fields.” Her words dropped to a mumble. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. “I suppose I could still go. You would let him know if he arrives back sooner, wouldn’t you?” She inquired. She didn’t want for him to come back and find her missing. After all, it would only cause him panic if he was in the right mind space. She was slowly coming to though, realizing that she had dropped the paintbrush. She looked back to Viola, finally meeting her gaze. “No, thank you though. Truthfully Viola, I do not know what I would do without you.” She shifted to hug the woman once more, her grip tight. She held it for a few seconds before pulling away. She moved to the basket that held the paints. She reached to grab the jewelry box holding the necklace in it. Her movements were still very shaky, but she was doing better. She brought it back to her. “I forgot to give this to you yesterday. I saw it at the market and thought you would like it.” She explained as she held it out for her to take.
 
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