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Realistic or Modern Night’s Embrace | Private |

"I don't have anything planned. I.." He trailed off, lowering his gaze to the table as he looked at his hands again, almost feeling as if he could see the dried blood upon them from the night before. "I've... caught up yesterday." His duties that he had neglected for the Black Market had been already done, in his frenzied state he had been a bit too efficient and willing to slaughter. There still was no word from Avrune yet, so that was something he would have to wait on a little while longer. So, this day his schedule was completely free... an odd feeling to have indeed, as he usually was a workaholic. Perhaps relaxing would do him some good, especially considering he wasn't completely calm.

As Rose responded to his compliment, that caused Emory's face to relax as his smile grew slightly more, "Well, I certainly like it on you. Granted, I don't think you would look terrible in anything. You are very beautiful." Sincere in his compliment, allowing the air to further lighten between them. Emory did find her beautiful, both inside and out. Her happy smile was enough to make his heart swell with happiness, chasing away some gloom but not all, not yet. Of course, this smile had faded as she had mentioned having odd dreams, his gaze once more lowered, smile fully fading into a slight frown.

She had mentioned having nightmares when he had came back, though he shouldn't be surprised if they got worse. Immediately, he blamed himself. Why did he reveal so much about himself? Why did he ever allow her to see him yesterday? He shouldn't have came back until the morning. These thoughts cycled in his head as he muttered, his tone seeping self-hatred, "Right... the weather." Obviously, he wasn't too happy with himself, taking on the problem as if it were his fault alone.

Forcing himself to drag himself out of his self-imposed gloom, he had straightened up in his chair, leaning back as he crossed his arms, interest beginning to spark in his eyes at Rose's offer. "Oh really? Then I would certainly like to try." He chuckled, his laughter being a welcome change as he mused, "Though, I am surprised that you wanted to take the initiative to learn to cook. You certainly are quite the princess, aren't you?" Usually most noble women would consider cooking to be a maid's work and unbeneath them, especially royalty. But, then again Rose had consistently defied his expectations time and time again. It kept him on his toes, but that was how it liked it. He wouldn't want her to change.

A tinge of embarrassment managed to cross his face as he looked away, "..You don't have to do that. But.. if you want to then go ahead." Not a direct answer as he tried his best to hide his adoration for sweets, but since Rose knew, it was no use to hide it from her. Besides, he wasn't too picky.

As his mind had settled on what to possibly do that day, he remembered a prior promise that he had made with Rose, his head tilting as he considered the offer. The weather had been really nice out, so now was as good as a time as ever, as the ball was creeping closer and closer. "Rose, if you're feeling up to it, would you like to begin training to use a sword today?" Although he was still reluctant in regards to her handling weapons like blades; he knew training weapons wouldn't be harmful if strength was held back on his part. He wouldn't want her to be injured, and he was quite capable of taking any hits, and since she was a beginner he wouldn't immediately be sparring with her. Merely allowing her to get used to holding a weapon in her hands.

"We can also take Echo with us, there are a few places I know that would be suitable to train in, so we wouldn't have to remain near the mansion." He had every intention of making up on his disappearance yesterday, as he had agreed to go out with Rose that day. Guilt was merely one driving factor, but perhaps he did want to get out of the mansion. There were too many chances he could remember something horrid the longer he stayed inside, and some fresh air would do them both some good.
 
The change in his tone had been expected. Rose assumed that his duties had mostly consisted of what he accomplished last night in the Black Market. Despite her want for him to fully leave that part of himself behind, she knew that he never would. It would always be a rather unfortunate part to his life. There were many things that made her wonder just how he might be if he abandoned them and his duties in the Black Market were one of them. She had seen certain letters and documents while she was helping run the estate when he was away. The information shown in them was unlike anything she had seen before. It made sense as to why so many of the nobility wanted to stay involved in it as she knew her father would never allow such things to occur if he had a proper understanding of the Black Market itself. Still, she was pleased to hear that Emory had the day off. She hoped they would find something to do that could ease his mind away from the occurrences of the night before.

A soft laugh managed to make its way through her lips as he continued to shower her in compliments. “Now you are just being far too kind to me. I fear my ego might become outrageous.” She teased in response. She tilted her head slightly, his smile a welcome sight. She had been worried that she might not see it on his lips for quite some time. She couldn’t imagine the mental torment he was experiencing in that moment. “Though I suppose my ego is almost too much for you to deal with anyways now. Just wait until the kingdom knows that I am alive and well. All that gossip is going to go directly to my head.” She clicked her tongue after she spoke, her smile softening. She truly was looking forward to being able to see her father and her sisters again. It was something she never imagined being able to do. Their sorrowful expressions were still burned into her memory from the funeral.

Her smile faded at the thought, eyebrows furrowing some. She hadn’t meant to allow that to bother her in the way it had. She knew it would be over soon enough, especially with the ball fast approaching. She brought her gaze up to look towards Emory then, noticing his own expression had dropped. His muttered almost went unheard, but it caused her expression to pinch more. “Emory, it truly is the weather. Either that or what all occurred in Freycrest. One night of restless sleep will not be the death of me, that much I can assure you.” She promised. She hadn’t wanted for him to take any blame for her dreams as she knew he wasn’t the cause for them. So much had happened in such a short span of time and she experienced things she never thought she would before. She wasn’t surprised it caused her mind to react as it did.

She bit her bottom lip gently then, deciding she needed to lighten the mood once more. The air had grown heavy between them and she believed it unnecessary for the both of them. She brought one of her hands up to wave somewhat at his statement, almost as though she was patting the air. “I wanted to give Viola the well-deserved time she needed off and didn’t want to bother anyone to cook for me. Besides, I find quite a bit of joy in consuming something I have made myself.” Her words were quite truthful. “When have you known me to back away from a new challenge?” She reminded as the smile returned to her lips. His reaction to her comment on the sweets only made it grow more. For the first time in days, the smile managed to reach her eyes. The green was gleaming with the joy she was feeling in that moment. While her mind was still urging her to be careful, reminding her of each moment from the past month, she was forcing it aside by deciding to focus solely on helping Emory. It was the only thing she could think of to help keep her mind from it all.

The next words to come from the young lord’s lips were something she never thought she would hear. Her mouth parted and eyes widened in surprise at the suggestion. She quickly nodded her head, her glee that of a school girl. “Yes! That would be wonderful!” She exclaimed, joy dripping from each word she spoke. “I almost thought you would never actually take the time to teach me. You did seem rather against the idea. It is good to know my stubbornness outlasted yours.” Her words were an obvious jest as she gazed at him.
 
Emory's mood had slightly improved at Rose's response to his compliments, making for once an amused light to finally return to the pale gold of his eyes, even if his eyes had yet to fully brighten. The shadows that remained there wouldn't be quick to leave anytime soon, but for now any slight improvement in his mood was a welcome change. The mention of the ball had made some of the darkness intensify, primarily due to him knowing how popular the event was. As he wasn't truly a people person, being in crowded spaces wasn't the most ideal for himself; and he'll certainly be the center of attention with Rose at his side. However, he reasoned that this was necessary and that Rose's happiness came first before his own discomfort. He never intended to keep her from her family, desiring her to reconnect with them as they seemed important to her. Ruining such a moment would be horrid of him, but perhaps he would linger close to Rose's side throughout the whole event as if he would be her shadow. There were people he wanted to avoid, and for good reason - without a doubt he would have to make sure he didn't give into fear when the time came.

Rose's change in expression didn't go unnoticed after she had spoken, causing Emory's own expression to tense as she had assured him that her cause of nightmares was not his fault. However, to say that he was unconvinced was obvious in the way he mutely stared at her, his eyebrows creasing in a furrow, and the clenching of his jaw... but he dropped the subject thankfully. The events in Freycrest was still a fault of his own, his own failure. She would have never been exposed to the danger and horrors that laid there if he had been more vigilant; neither of them came out of that incident unscathed. Nonetheless, the man would let the subject go and allow himself to push those thoughts away to the back of his mind before his mood truly became foul again. He didn't need a repeat of the night's events, especially not with Rose. She had already seen such an unappealing side to himself, and he truly didn't want her to see it again.

The change in topic was welcome, causing the man to visibly relax causing him to chuckle in response, "Well that's certainly quite kind of you. But, I suppose you have your point." Rose's efforts to do what she desired was quite interesting to observe, finding her growing confidence a welcome sight. Warmth finally began to return to his golden eyes as he gazed at her, seeing her usual bright smile made overwhelming relief flood through him. He truly did miss seeing her smile so broadly, to see the green of her eyes brighten and sparkle. He feared that after what she had been through, she would not be able to smile in such a way again... he felt relieved to be proven wrong.

However, nothing prepared him for the enthusiasm that suddenly took over the woman as she had shown her obvious glee in the offer, causing Emory to release a sigh of exasperation. Of course this was the one thing that would cause such an excited reaction from her.. why was he not surprised? The idea alone still made him feel apprehension, but he had personally trained his sentries, so it wasn't as if he wasn't experienced in training another person... granted he had been harsh and perhaps rough and unfeeling when he had trained them. I'll make sure I'll be gentle with her. I have to. Sure, it would be slower than the usual pace he would go through, but he didn't want to push her far too hard.

Shaking his head at her, couldn't help but laugh at her jest, "Careful, I can always change my mind." He wouldn't though, knowing how much she wanted to try this, he would certainly want her to be happy. His expression gentled then, though the sound of his chair scrapping back soon filled the air as he stood and walked around the table to her side, "Hmm... let's see.." His hands gently had came in contact with her shoulders, eyebrows furrowing. Of course, he was trying to determine what they would start with in terms of training, and she would have to build up some muscle as well to be able to hold her own in a fight. Not that he would expect her to get into any fights, but perhaps he would start with defensive training first? Emory's expression grew serious as the warmth of his hands slowly shifted down the length of her arms, obvious enough to his own mind how soft she was underneath his hands. Perhaps the most basic of practicing a simple sword swing would be enough? I could work on showing her stances later.

The pressure of his hands continued down until he reached her own hands, gently turning them over within his own as his eyebrows furrowed. Am I really doing this? The reluctant thought filled him, though he knew that this was perhaps for the better. The thought of her with a weapon in hand did indeed cause him hesitation, but considering her slight build, he muttered under his breath, "Maybe a rapier would be easy for you to handle eventually..." A thin, long blade, not as heavy as a typical broadsword, and certainly not a greatsword, but efficient for swift slashes and those who had more slender builds. "Maybe.. daggers as well..." After all, having a back up weapon in case the main weapon was lost would be beneficial. He would have to consider close hand combat then, though this thought caused a frown to cross his face. I'll have to be extremely careful then. Emory was quite skilled in assassination, hand-to-hand combat was something he could do with ease. But sparring... sparring would be hard for him to hold back, he didn't want to hurt her.

A sigh eventually left his lips, only to realize how close he had gotten to her. His hand was gently holding hers in his own, thumb circling around her wrist, his head just above her own. Startled a bit, he had released her from his hold, though he hesitated and planted a soft kiss on her cheek before withdrawing as he returned back to his side of the table, "Well, I have an idea where we could possibly start. But, where we go from there depends on you." Settling back in his seat, his expression still held reluctance, "You'll have to build some muscle and get used to being able to hold a sword for extended periods of time. We'll have to work on that first. But, under one condition."

"Tell me if it becomes too much for you. I do not want you to push yourself past your limits. The moment I see that you're pushing yourself too hard, I won't train you anymore. Understand?" His tone was firm, concern for her all too obvious in his voice. This was mostly driven by the fact that Rose could get ill easily, and the last thing he needed was her body giving out on her due to her being stubborn. And considering Emory was taking this seriously, he wanted to get the best results for her, but was also battling the surge of concern that was swelling in his chest.

Just as these words were spoken, it seemed as if Viola had finished preparing breakfast as the smell of the food had gotten stronger with her approach. It wasn't too long until the meal was displayed in front of the two, although the maid seemed quiet that morning... not too uncharacteristic of her, but it was perhaps due to the weight of Emory's words during the night that had caused such a change. Emory's gaze didn't seem to turn to her however, nor did it seem like Viola had the courage to even look at Emory now, uttering a mere quiet "good morning", before she turned and retreated back into the kitchen. Even to Emory, he felt uncomfortable, evident by the discomfort in his gaze. But, perhaps he was assuming the worse, that Viola couldn't possibly look at him the same as she'd always been. But, that was a matter that he could deal with later... if it was necessary. Better to allow matters over his past to go unsaid for now, for he didn't want to revisit the discomfort that came with such a topic.
 
She took note of the way the young lord immediately relaxed as the subject changed, making a mental reminder to steer away from difficult topics such as that for the time being. It would be best for all of them to not bring up what had occurred for now. Rose did desire to discuss certain things with Emory, if only to reassure herself that he could overcome the memories eventually. It would be a long road for the both of them in that aspect. The horrors Emory experienced as a young boy were something that would follow him for the entirety of his life. She had no doubt that it would be where he found his most shortcomings. Yet she truly believed that he might be able to learn to live with it. He already had opened himself up far more to the discussion of his emotions and his memories. It was a slow and steady improvement, one that she greatly appreciated. She didn’t know how she would voice it to him, but she did admire the strength that he had for overcoming what he did already.

The sigh that left his lips only made her smile grow. It got wide enough to where it ached her cheeks to hold, but she refused to let it drop. This was something that she had been looking forward to for quite some time now and she honestly believed Emory might never teach her such skills. “And if you do I will continue to bother you until you cave and agree to teach me once more.” She responded quickly, her mind racing from her excitement that was growing by the moment. She watched as he came to her side and allowed for him to do as he pleased. She could recall something similar when she learned how to use a bow. The memory was one that always brought her a great deal of joy. She had managed to sneak off one day and find the armory. After gaping at the swords for a while, her hands landed upon the largest bow she could find. She was quite young at the time, no more than ten years of age. A knight found her barely balancing it in her arms. It was only when her father heard of the news and stopped laughing that he allowed for her to be taught.

She did consider herself to be quite proficient still in the use of it, even though she hadn’t been able to practice in quite some time. She hoped to ask Emory about allowing her to do such a thing eventually, but not at the current moment in time. She felt lucky enough he was even willing to teach her how to use a sword in the first place. She became all too aware of his hold on her hands then, her expression softening. She turned her gaze to look down to her now-visible palms. She only lifted her eyes back to him at the mention of daggers. “I have always been interesting in learning how to use them as well. That was the one thing my father would never let me touch. I suppose he was afraid I might accidentally stab the wrong person.” She mused, her voice softer.

The sensation of his thumb circling the delicate skin on her wrist was a soothing one. Her gaze was light as she looked to him. He seemed to be lost in thought, though she didn’t dare try to guess just what he was thinking in that moment. He already voiced concerns to teaching her before and she knew he would probably do the same again. She allowed for him to pull back as he pleased, blinking as she felt the soft kiss to her cheek. His beard tickled the skin, but she showed no reaction to it. Her eyes just followed him as he walked around the table once more and returned to his seat.

She bowed her head to him slightly at his words, her hair falling into his face. “I understand. I am truly willing to learn whatever you know to teach me. I know I will never be able to match your skills or that of any knight, but I do want to learn how to protect myself in close quarters. I fear that my reappearance at the ball might cause an outrage for many.” She confessed. There were many factors that would be playing into the situation that would soon arise. While she was sure quite a few people would rejoice at the news she was alive, she knew that Blaine would be furious and her romantic relations with Emory would cause a target to form on both of their backs. It was something she had been preparing herself for for quite some time, ever since he shared his intention of taking her to the ball.

Her head turned to look towards the kitchen as she heard the shuffling of footsteps and the door opening. She offered Viola a familiar smile, though she was quite concerned at the way the maid reacted towards Emory. She supposed the evening had been hard on her. She couldn’t imagine hearing those events and having to relive them. She watched as the woman walked towards the table then set the food down in front of the both of them. “Thank you Viola, it looks wonderful.” Her words were truthful as the maid retreated away from them both. She reached to grab her tea cup, taking a sip from it before she began to eat the food in front of her. The air had shifted once more and she was beginning to feel some discomfort herself due to it. Instead she tried to focus on the fact that she would finally be trained in something she had yearned for.
 
(Looked back to reread and realized I accidentally changed the Gallovan's duke's name to Cynheard so.. it's changing back to Algerone. I guess his son's name is now Cynheard, it's been awhile lol!)

Desiring to shift the air from the discomfort that came with Viola's silence, Emory had begun to eat as well, although again the food was tasteless upon his tongue. Disappointment surged through him once again, although he didn't allow it to show. He supposed food wouldn't have flavor to him anymore, a disappointing aspect after his body had been irreversibly changed. Though, as of late he'd not truly felt weakened or anything, having used quite a bit of his newfound abilities while he had been away during the day before, thus he almost felt normal. There would be no possibility of the man suddenly reverting to a severely ill state anytime soon... or so he hoped. And as he ate the food before him, eventually clearing his plate... his stomach still felt as if he'd not placed a single thing in it, though he didn't feel the pang of hunger. Bewilderment was quick to follow, though he supposed he would simply have to ask if he would come across anything that would provide him any sort of answer. But, with Avrune's silence so far, it certainly wasn't a comforting sign.

Dismissing the issues to the back of his mind, his golden eyes shifted up to look at Rose, beginning to finally speak once more in response to her last words she had spoken, "...Well, if you do train hard enough and keep your skills sharp, you might be able to rival even my own skills. It's certainly not impossible." Considering how stubborn Rose was, he was sure that she would desire to continue to grow more in her abilities, though he would have to see for himself what potential she had. Perhaps, he could turn her into a deadly force as some of his female sentries were quite deadly on their own. Granted, no one had yet to best him quite yet, the only people who had were now dead - being the former Lord May and his half-brother Camdyn. The thought of the two had made a chill go down his spine as he shoved the memories away with as much force as he possibly could manage. There were other more important issues to attend to than to linger on the thoughts of the dead.

"You are right to be cautious, I have no doubt that there would be plenty that would desire harm against you." His tone took on an annoyed tint, "And considering Blaine of all people, he'll probably try some last minute stunt to get him out of the hole he's dug for himself." Thinking of the man before he met Rose had only incited faint annoyance, but now it was tainted with anger. If anything, Emory truly did want to personally torture the man himself... but that would only result in the man's death for what the cold man had in mind. He wouldn't be surprised if Blaine would try to spill the all of his plans that he'd hastily discarded at the last second when he grew dissatisfied with Rose, if only to drag Emory down with him further. "..Not to mention the high houses too," His facial expression tightened with discomfort, "Though most of them I'm sure would have your best interest in mind, I wouldn't really count on anyone that is supporting the Gallovans." Emory was a highly controversial figure in the kingdom, and considering Eunice Gallovan was quite the shadow over Emory's life, the man didn't even want to come within miles of her, much less in the same room. This is not to mention the rather brutal actions he'd taken against Demelza as she was snooping around in places she certainly didn't belong, Eunice certainly would use that as leverage against him in one way or another.

This wasn't even taking in consideration the patriarch, Algerone. It wasn't as if Emory had the best relationship with the man either, even if Algerone was a man of honor and severely loyal to the king, from rumors alone the man was a doting father as well. Demelza's condition wouldn't go over well with him, and it would take a fool to not realize that Emory would be the culprit. Tensions certainly would be extremely high if Emory would encounter the man, and from what little he knew of Cynheard Gallovan, the boy that was becoming a knight, the teen was just as bad as his father, if not even more so determined to do things righteously. Those two would be mere mild headaches compared to dealing with Eunice... Eunice was dangerous, and he wasn't sure what she would do when he would inevitably encounter her face to face for the first time in a decade. Just thinking about the woman alone was enough to make the man visibly tense. He really shouldn't think too long on that.

The Caxatons on the other hand would automatically follow behind whatever the Gallovans would decide as the two families were always close considering Algerone and Valentine were closely acquainted. Though Emory was certain Valentine even after all these years was still harboring a grudge against him, so he wouldn't hesitate to try to through a wrench in the announcement alone. An annoyed huff of breath finally left the man as his expression was becoming visibly annoyed taking into account all of the difficulties with his standing in the kingdom. If only he didn't have so many enemies in high places, maybe it wouldn't be as stressful as he was already dreading this to be... though it was no fault of his own, mostly Eunice. "I have a feeling this ball will be... interesting to say the least." A tinge of stress had lined his words, but it was understandable. Emory never had bothered to attend the ball, the only time he had been in public were when he absolutely had to in the kingdom. The last time he had been in a public event was when he had just taken over the former Lord May's estate, and had announced himself as the new lord in power at the ball that had taken place that self same year, and that was when he was eighteen.

Now, this time especially with him allowing Rose to know what he had to suffer, and knowing those selfsame people would without a doubt be in attendance too was putting plenty of stress on the man. He had lucked out the last time he had been in public within the kingdom, this time he would not be lucky. After all, everyone was assuming that Rose was dead, so all of the high houses would want to show up in support of the king's family. It was a lot to take care of, a lot to take into consideration, and he wasn't sure how things would play out. But he knew without a doubt he would have to be on guard. Besides, it wasn't as if he would back out on this now, and considering what little he knew that Rose had to suffer at Blaine's hands and she still had the courage to want to go... he could muster the courage too in support of her. He had to.

Shaking away the thoughts immediately, his expression had relaxed as he smiled at Rose, though the smile was rather small, "Well, you should probably change into some other clothes if you want to begin training today." Standing up from the dining table, Emory had stepped away as he added, "I'll be waiting for you outside, I'll go get Echo ready." It seemed as if Emory was a bit eager to have a distraction from lingering too much on the negative thoughts that had been trying to latch onto him, so he was perhaps running away from the problem for now instead of discussing it further. But, considering how he had been during the night, could one truly blame him?
 
lol no worries! honestly i hadn’t noticed so you are fine c:
also, after rewatching and rereading pride and prejudice, their dynamic reminds me so much of mr. darcy and elizabeth bennet and i love it so much))

Rose’s attention was mostly focused on the meal in front of her, easily finishing the plate she had been given. It was the first time that she had felt as hungry as she did in days. Her stomach had been a bit off ever since Freycrest. She chalked it up to her nerves causing her to overreact on that matter. She realized that this was the first day where she felt almost completely normal. The mention of beginning to learn how to use a sword had brighten her mood to a level it hadn’t been in quite some time. She had placed her fork down when Emory began to speak once again. A devilish smirk made its way onto her lips at his words. “Oh, I have every intention of rivaling your skills and even surpassing you if I am able. I may be a princess, but I have a knack for weapons. I could shoot an arrow from horseback and hit my target by the time I was eleven. You have no clue what you have agreed to do, my lord.” She brought the title up in a teasing manner, trying to keep the mood as light as she possibly could. She knew her own stubborn nature could help her surpass any expectations one might have for her.

The shift in conversation to Blaine was one that caused a bit of anger to rise in her chest. She was quick to shove it down though. “The rat will get what is coming for him. My father married me to him for convenience after all, another alliance to the crown. But my father would not be such a fool to forgive him for what he has done. If I tell the true extent of his abuse, Blaine will be lucky if he only hangs for his crimes,” She paused for a moment, her jaw clenching slightly. She forced herself to take a gentle breath before continuing. “I want him to suffer every moment as he made me. I want for him to live out years of starvation, years of beatings. He doesn’t deserve the mercy of a quick death.” Her tone had taken a shift in a way it never had before while she talked with Emory. It resembled that of her own father’s, cool and angry. This was a side to herself that she never allowed any to see, a side that Blaine had brought forth.

She closed her eyes in order to allow herself to calm down, not wanting to dwell on the matter any further. The situation was in the past now and she knew that justice would prevail soon enough. She looked back to Emory when she finally opened them once more. A soft smile made its way to her face, similar to the one she commonly wore. “Indeed it will. No matter what happens, I hope for it to be at least a bit of fun for the both of us. I do not think I have ever seen you dance before. Now that is something that I cannot wait for.” She mused, voice returning back to the lightness it normally carried as well. She was aware of the many factors that would come into play now that she was to be known as alive with Emory courting her. She had a strong feeling this would be the last time that they knew a sense of peace for a while.

“If anything, at least we both have each other during. We can always sneak away to the gardens if things become too much. There is a little passageway to the side of the ballroom that not many know of. We could even have an escape carriage waiting for us.” She offered, amusement laced in her own words. Her suggestion was lighthearted, but genuine. She would do anything that the two of them needed to in order to make Emory as comfortable as possible. She was aware the strain that public situations put on him and knew it would be amplified with who was attending the hall. She watched as the small smile lit up his face and she quickly stood. “Alright, I will be out shortly!” She called after him before turning to make her way towards the stairway. Her steps were quick as she went up them and then went to her room. She carefully pulled the blue dress off and undid the corset she had been wearing. She knew it would restrict her movement far too much.

She dug through one of the drawers she had with older outfits she didn’t commonly wear before finding another corset. It was one she had specifically designed for when she decided to go train with her bow. She quickly tied it up, keeping it loose enough to where she wouldn’t ache from the tightness later. She then pulled on a tunic and trousers. She quickly moved to her vanity and grabbed her hairbrush once more. She managed to pull her hair up into a tight braid, one that would keep it from getting in her way. She then grabbed the boots she wore when she went to Freycrest. Despite the terrible memories associated with them, they had proven worthy in allow her to run and move much easier than she originally would’ve expected. Pleased with her outfit and appearance, she made her way back out of her room and straight out the door to meet Emory once more.

Her steps to the barn had a slight bounce to them as her excitement was beginning to grow more and more. She truly couldn’t believe that Emory was going to allow her to actually learn skills such as this. It was something she had always dreamed up. She made her way to his side once there. “Alright, I am ready to go.” Her voice was as bright as the sun streaming down on the grass. The sky was a clear blue, not a cloud blocking it. A gentle breeze rustled the grass around them.
 
(I've never got into Pride & Prejudice myself, only at the most saw little bits and pieces of the movie but it never held my attention for long! My mom absolutely loves it though!
Also I have like plenty of lore stuff that I'm building up for the world and worldbuilding! Honestly this thread on FeralFront was apart of a little thread "series/timeline" that I was kind of throwing together under another account (since I had like... waaay too many), just to have different romance stories taking places over centuries! So it's really making me look forward to the time skip and when Avrune comes into play since all the events there sets up stuff for events in "future" stuff. And Eunice in particular was like a big part of it though I wasn't really intending her to be at first, it'll just really pick up with ancient lore/mythos and stuff like that I guess when I get to it :3)

Emory had made his way outside of the mansion, through the back though his steps had paused as he had taken in the sight of the garden. Although Addison and his assistants were not there that day, he could tell that there had been a lot of progress done. No longer did he see the remnants of his past, the aftermath of the bloody coup he had started, not even his mother's broken statue remained. It was as if it had all vanished, causing an unknown sense of relief to settle within the man's chest. Yet, deciding he was lingering far too long, he took one look over his shoulder toward the mansion and shook his head in slight exasperation, his mind running through Rose's words that had been spoken earlier as he took the familiar pathway to the stables that held the horses he owned. What had lingered in his mind was the sudden cold and angry tone that had taken over her voice when regarding Blaine, it wasn't something that he had expected from her... but he supposed from what she had said that it was well deserved. I certainly never want to get on her bad side.

The thought was soon cast aside as he jogged toward the stables, retrieving a rather energetic Echo as the stallion was all too eager to go out again, especially considering Emory rarely took the stallion out as it was due to not wanting the horse to be injured in his day to day duties; typically allowing Echo to be taken by his sentries if they needed to have a sturdy horse to take someone to a safe location. A smile crossed his face as the stallion took to nuzzling the man's face, "I know, I know.. I'm sorry." He gently patted the spirited horse's cheek as he took to making sure he would secure a saddle and a bridle for the animal, as well as searching toward a hidden corner in the back of the stables where he secured a hidden wooden training sword. Although it was rather old, it would make due as he hadn't had use for a training sword in quite some time, and as he used to vent quite a lot in the training grounds, he sometimes had set aside a small amount of training swords so that he wouldn't be completely destroying every single one he put his hands on. Securing the training sword to the back of the saddle, it was then that he heard Rose's boots against the ground, accompanied by her voice to announce that she was indeed ready.

Turning his head toward her, a faint smile had crossed his face as he sighed at her, "This is the most excited I've seen you. I probably should have done this sooner if I knew it would make you this happy." He chuckled as he brought Echo close, the stallion eagerly trotting over which made Emory grumble, "Though it seems like you're not the only one." Of course this was met with the stallion tossing its head impatiently, prompting Emory to roll his eyes as he turned toward Rose and assisted her atop of the horse, only once he was sure that she was on, it was then that the young lord had settled in the saddle behind her, his arms moving around her to grab hold of the reigns and once he was absolutely sure Rose was settled before him had the man prompted Echo to begin to move, settling the horse into not too fast of a pace as he seemed to be going in the direction of the forest at first.

The rolling fields and pleasant breeze would greet them as the stallion was eventually encouraged into a gallop, though once it was clear Emory was not heading toward the forest but further into the fields themselves. Although the fields was owned by the former Lord May, he had never expanded out further, though there were certainly plans to. After all, Dusk's Respite, as rural as a community as it was, was only one part of the large amount of territory that the May family had once had full reign over. The massive fields outside of the community's reach was untamed, host to nothing but nature and nature alone. With the wildflowers that dotted the countryside and the lovely weather, it certainly held quite the view, but Emory had only one location in mind that would serve to ensure that they would be able to train in peace, though he was sure Rose would be able to enjoy the view far more than the young lord did.

It was only when he pulled Echo to a stop did the place he had chosen to train clearly seemed to be frequented already, even with the long grass being ruffled by the breeze before them, there was clearly a space that had been cleared away by someone - no doubt Emory as there was no civilization too close by. Evidence of the grass frequently being trimmed back to form a barren patch of earth that formed a sizable arena of sorts was there, with a single lone tree with a shallow pond mere arm lengths away. The tree itself seemed to show some semblance of damage, with gashes in the bark made by a sword's edge, though the tree was obviously used as a target in replacement of all the broken practice dummies that had been destroyed by Emory over the years. The man couldn't very much break down the ancient tree as the girth of the trunk was far too wide and thick, no matter how furious he got, so this place which had been abandoned for quite some years was the place he frequented when he wanted to be alone.

Slipping from Echo's saddle and once he was sure that Rose could get down on her own had Emory grabbed the wooden sword he had strapped to the back of the saddle, extending the blade out to Rose expectantly as he said, "We'll start out with sword swings, considering you've claimed that you're already quite handy with a bow, it shouldn't be too much if you start off with a few sets of ten." After all, pulling a bowstring required quite the amount of strain, especially with notching an arrow. But, since Emory didn't want to push Rose too hard on the first day, he would take it a bit easier. Plus, he would correct and adjust her stance as needed.
 
i used to get bored by it but ended up loving the story after a long time. i recently rewatched it again and fell in love with it lol! oh my god that is so cool! my threads usually can never connect like that, but j really love that idea c: i am really excited for that as well, though my heart will hurt for these two. i am really glad that this thread has continued on as far as it has because i absolutely adore it and love writing with you!))

Emory’s greeting caused a soft laugh to leave her lips as her eyes fell upon him. “Of course I am excited! I was worried you might never actually follow through on the promise to train me. You did seem very reluctant when I first brought it up.” She reminded with a slight shake of her head. The corners of her lips twitched up at her own words. There was a good feeling forming in the pit of her stomach, one she hadn’t felt in quite some time. The training would be rough, that much she knew, but she was looking forward to having something else to try. “I took him out for a ride towards the mountains yesterday. You should’ve seen just how excited he was then. I am sure your presence is only adding to it.” She commented as she stepped closer to the two. Her recent experiences on horseback gave her a different confidence that she lacked before.

She climbed onto the saddle, making sure there was enough space behind her for Emory to do the same. She placed both of her hands on the horn at the front of the saddle, carefully gripping it as they began to make their way from the stables. His arms framed her as they held onto the reins and allowed for her to feel much safer than she would’ve if he hadn’t. She turned her head to look around them as their pace increased. There was such a stunning beauty to the area that she couldn’t believe she hadn’t seen before. Dusk’s Respite was unlike anything she had experienced. It blended the elements of different terrains that would often take day’s travels to see. She was aware that her love for Emory probably helped encourage the love she felt for her new home. Not only was the scenery beautiful, but the people in town were quite kind to her. It was everything that she had been missing in the past years.

She closed her eyes for a few moments as the breeze washed over her. Her shoulders had relaxed, releasing the tension that had built the night before. She found herself leaning back into Emory slightly though not enough to cause either of them to fall from the saddle. A happy sigh left her as she finally opened her eyes once more. The greens of her eyes gleamed in the sun shining down on them, her skin glowing in the light. “It truly is beautiful.” Her confession was no more than a whisper, the breeze carrying it as they continued on. She enjoyed every minute of the ride and hoped the ride back would be just as lovely. It was only then that she realized they had come to a clearing.

She carefully slid off of the saddle once Echo came to a halt, balancing her feet beneath her once she did. Her eyes studied the area surrounding them. It made sense as to why Emory suggested they come here. The marks on the trunk of the tree were easy for her to see where she stood. She cast a glance towards Emory for a moment before stepping to the side and turning to face him. She held her hand out to carefully take the sword from him. Her focus shifted to it immediately once it was grasped in her fingers. She adjusted the weight a few times, allowing herself to get used to it. She tried to hold it in the way she had seen knights before, wanting her grip to be correct before anything else. She nodded her head slightly at his words, bringing her eyes up to gaze at him for a moment.

She took a few more steps away, not wanting to accidentally hit Emory as she swung. She brought the wooden sword up to where the top of the blade was eye-level. The weight was similar to that of the bow she used to use. She knew it would take a while to regain the strength that she once had, but she planned on doing it to her best ability. Her years with Blaine caused for much of her muscle mass and weight to leave her body. She was only now finally regaining healthy weight after being at the May manor for as long as she had. Then, she swung. Her muscles immediately ached after a few swings with the heavy wood, but she didn’t care. Her mind had focused in on her training for that day and she had every intention to stay here for as long as she possibly could.
 
(I might give it another shot eventually, but I have like a whole backlog of stuff that I need to watch but still haven't gotten to yet!
And thanks! The other threads I had never really got far enough to actually connect to each other as they never reached their conclusions, but I know one in particular was supposed to explore the deity that the continent Avrune was named after with like a tragic romance, and the other was a sort of enemies to lovers trope that explored Avrune's destruction centuries down the timeline. And then the third was another continent that was introduced that had a race of giants that would go with the whole "fish out of water" thing; and another was based around one of the capitals of Avrune and the last of the elven people that had once lived there... but yeah I had a lot planned for this little world! I just never got the chance to fully flesh out everything and figure out where in the timeline it would stick properly since some threads were planned as prequels to certain major events. The one big event in particular was the one that was the enemies to lovers trope story with the destruction of the continent that was supposed to further touch on the ancient story that took place before all the I guess.. "mortal" races? But yeah, there's a lot! And I think this one takes place a few centuries before the major event one? Maybe one or two.. not really sure yet! I guess it'll depend on what I'm going to stick with in regards to Eunice and her family line or something like that, idk! XD
Thank you though, I really love to hear it that people like enjoying my little crazy stories! I do enjoy writing with you too, it's been really fun so far! :3)

Emory watched as Rose took the wooden sword from him, seeing her adjusting and getting used to the feeling of it within her hands. Although it certainly was far lighter than what a regular blade would feel like, as then she would be handling cold steel in her hands. The thought made his stomach turn with worry as a faint tinge of anxiety surged in his chest as he continued to watch her with care, his arms crossing as he stood back a little to give her a bit more room as she had adjusted her stance and seemed to mimic... was that the kingdom's knights? The frown that had crossed his face had faded, replaced with a small smile of amusement though he didn't correct her just yet. He never was too fond of the knight's strict stances, they were far too obvious and predictable. But, he supposed that resulted in the strict rules regarding one's honor, but in a real fight there was no such thing as "honor". Any opponent would do whatever they could to gain the upper hand, especially if the opponent was desperate. Desperate people made the worse possible enemies, so he would probably have to teach her how to fight underhandedly as well...

As these thoughts rolled through his mind, he was beginning to see quite a few mistakes in her stance. Knights typically would be more guarded in the stance alone and firm, there was a bit of clumsiness there... not that he had shown her anything just yet. But, it would be wise to correct it now and form a firm foundation so he could build off from there. Moving toward her, he raised a hand as he settled behind her, gently making adjustments to her arms, as well as slightly nudging her legs so that she could stand firmly. Once he was satisfied, he had spoken, "I needed to change your posture a bit. Although I'm assuming you were trying to mimic the knights in the kingdom, weren't you? A good start, but you were standing too rigid." Emory forced his tone to remain gentle as his eyes shifted to the wooden sword in her hands, the heaviness of his own hands circling around her arms as he gently adjusted a bit more, correcting her sword swing so that she could perform a clean arch, guiding her arms a few times in the motion as the heat of his body pressed close, his voice taking on a serious tone, "And with sword swings, getting a basic swing like this," He paused to guide her again, keeping as gentle with his touch as possible, "Would prevent you from injuring yourself. The last thing you need is to accidentally move the wrong way and cause yourself pain." Emory would know since he had done it before, granted it was when he was but a child still trying to learn and the former Lord May was no gentle teacher.

The memory caused a bitter feeling to rise in his chest, though he suppressed it as he stepped away from her, "Now, give me thirty more." This would be a mere start, he knew Rose was stubborn enough to keep trying so he would treat this as seriously as she. Standing back, the man was now once more a silent observer, the sharp edge to his golden eyes being as attentive as he possibly could to her, checking for any signs of mistakes or a weakness that he needed to correct. His eyebrows were beginning to crease again, though not because of any frustration or discomfort, he merely was focusing. Quite the serious teacher indeed, and if she still wasn't too tired after this, he would perhaps demonstrate some of the basic stances for her to learn, including some of his own personal stances that he had made on his own to catch his opponents off guard. After all, if she were to protect herself, he wanted her to be able to think on her feet and adjust accordingly, not rely on strict training regimen. Though, perhaps if it got to the point of him sparring with her.. perhaps he would have to truly push her to her limits then. For now, he would see if she was a quick learner and able to adjust accordingly, then he would work on doing a few exercises with her as well. Not only to keep her in shape, but himself as well. It wasn't as if he had been able to work on exercise himself when he had been bedridden after Freycrest, so taking this opportunity was as good as any.
 
i feel that. i have such a long list of things to watch and read now, it is a disaster.
ooo that all sounds so interesting! you could totally write a book series about it too! and of course! <3
also sorry this was a bit short! trying to fit it in while getting things done before i head to work ))

Rose’s movements were careful, trying to recall what she had seen before. She hadn’t realized the stiffness in both her movements and her muscles. It had been quite some time since she had been able to witness any of the knights training. Her eyes had pinched and eyes narrowed as her focus was solely on her movements. She had a feeling she might be scolded for how much she was worrying about each movement she made, but was relieved once Emory stopped her. A tinge if embarrassment rose in her chest, her cheeks tinting a light pink at his assumption. “They were the only ones that I have ever seen use a sword before. It was my only reference.” She confessed, allowing for him to move her as he pleased. Her muscles began to relax while his fingers guided her body where it needed to be.

Her eyes watched the sword as he guided her arms in the movement. She took note of how it felt, which of her muscles tensed and the shifting of her feet with the swing. She could immediately feel the difference compared to what she had been doing before. Her original posture had caused for her shoulders to ache, her body twisting more than she should’ve. This new posture made her feel as though she was just taking a breath. It came completely natural to her. She turned her head to the side, casting a glance over her shoulder at him. There was a different glint in his eyes, one she hadn’t seen before. He seemed truly intent on making sure she would learn to what she needed from the beginning. Appreciation rose within her, one which she would thank him for later. Once he stepped back from her, she began to swing once more.

She managed to stay consistent with the changes that Emory made to her stance, her swings getting swifter and more direct. Her arm was beginning to ache after she finished the thirty he had demanded. Sweat formed on her brow and she brought a hand to wipe it away. She regretted picking a long-sleeved tunic that day. The breeze had stopped by that point and the sun was now high in the sky, beating down on this. She had to admit that this was the warmest day that they had all year. “Was that better?” She inquired, turning to face him after she finished. Her chest was heaving slightly, breath a bit heavier. Her concentration for the situation at hand was beginning to lighten as she gazed at the young lord beside her. “I could feel the change in my movements. It didn’t put as much strain on my back or my shoulders.” She confessed. It was clear that she was a quick learner and she had no intention of stopping anytime soon. She kept the sword somewhat raised, her grip having adjusted on it. She was more than ready to continue if he asked her to. She hadn’t noticed the slight aching of her fingers due to the blisters that were sure to form.
 
(I could! But I do have a problem with staying focused on one story before getting too anxious or second guessing if it's good enough. There's so many stories I've scrapped and never finished past the first few chapters because of it... but maybe one day I might feel comfortable enough... maybe XD
And you're okay! I'm trying to fit this one into my breaks, though 15 minutes for each one is just not enough :x)

Emory watched as she had executed the sword swings. It was certainly an improvement, and the potential was as clear as day to him. She could indeed become quite good at sword play if she kept at it, though obviously since she was a novice, there were small errors here and there, an awkwardness in her movements that was quite obvious as he would expect. He didn't expect perfection from her yet, certainly not on the first day. Yet, by the time she had finished her set, her swings were more confident, swifter and clean. A look of approval had managed to creep into the man's eyes as he stepped close to her, closing the distance he had put between then as he peered down at her.

At her words, the man had inclined his head to her, his hand coming to gently rest atop her head and gently ruffled her hair. A warm action, though a bit hesitant as he only was going by a faded memory of the former Lord May doing such a thing to Camdyn whenever he approved of his half-brother's progress, "Much better." Approval rang in his tone, for she had certainly picked up on it far faster than he ever had. For him it took frequent smacks from Lord May to beat it in him how to properly swing a sword... a thing that he refused to do to Rose. Despite how harsh his training was, he wanted to not even see a single bruise on the woman, even if his sentries had been battered by his own hands. Perhaps he was showing favoritism, but how could he not?

"It's not perfect yet, but I'm sure you will have it perfected in no time. You're certainly far better than I had been when I first started." He chuckled a bit at that, letting his hand leave her head as he said jokingly, "I'm almost jealous." Though, Emory's gaze shifted to look over her in full, a faint frown crossing his face as he saw that she was breathing a bit heavier, and considering she was sweating now, he didn't want to push her too far. The sun was unforgiving that day, even he could feel it slightly though his own body didn't seem to show it despite him standing pretty much in the sun as well. His golden eyes shifted toward the nearby ancient tree, with the large girth of the trunk and the tree boughs overhead, it would provide decent shade, "...Go ahead and take a break for now."

He gently then took the wooden sword from her, the weight of the training weapon feeling very much light in his own hands as if it were a stick, though this was mostly because he already was far too acquainted with weapons to actually feel overexerted. "For now, you can observe. I'll demonstrate some stances for you while you rest." Emory's gaze shifted toward the training weapon in hand, though a cold glimmer came to his eyes. Granted, this would occur whenever the man handled any weapon in his hand to begin focusing, he took a few steps away from Rose, allowing his mind to drift back to the many stances that had been beaten into him.

At first, he went defensive; shifting from the more familiar defensive stances the kingdom's knights would use. Every movement was smooth, confident and sure footed as he slowed his breathing, coiled muscles tensing and easing into each defensive stance as if it were like a dance, though his steps suddenly shifted. This was perhaps due to him having forgotten he had an audience, but his stances began to shift suddenly to offense, aggressive strikes and swift movements, the weapon blurring with the intensity of each turn, eventually settling into how he preferred to attack, no longer relying on the how the kingdom taught offensive and defensive attacks. No, these attacks and stances were far more reliant on speed and strength, the gold glint to his eyes brightening as he reached the end of his stances. An excitement almost? As if he were enjoying himself? But even this was quick to die as he looked down at the weapon in his hands, a frown creasing his face as if dissatisfied.
 
oh i can completely understand that! that is how i feel about the book i am currently writing. i keep changing things with it lol and you are completely fine!!))

His expression was almost unreadable to her for a few moments as she awaited his response to her recent movements. There was a glint of approval shining in his golden eyes, one that she didn’t think she had been able to see before. It caused for her heart to swell with pride in her chest. She hadn’t been entirely sure if what she was doing was up to the standards that he had for her, but that alone was enough to ease the nerves beginning to rise once more. She recalled hearing from a few of the sentries that Emory had been the one to teach them all they knew. It was no surprise that he had been so focused on correcting her stance before. She brought her gaze up to meet his once he stepped closer to her, the only sound between them the light laboring of her own breathing. She could see his hand raising from the corner of her eye, blinking as he placed it on her head and ruffled her hair. It was something she hadn’t expected, but it did cause a wide grin to spread on her lips.

His words caused for it to grow even more. Her joy easily reached her eyes, the green shining once more as it had earlier that day at breakfast. His approval only caused for her to want to continue, to keep practicing until she perfected it. It helped her confidence to know that she was picking up the skills much easier than most most. She knew it had been a while since she had been able to partake in any activity such as this and it brought forth good memories. She tilted his head slightly at his next comment, eyebrows raising. “Oh do not worry, I have every intention of surpassing you in your abilities.” Her words were a clear jest, the teasing tone laced between each syllable. She clicked her tongue lightly then before offering him a wink. “You should be. It would be a shame for you to be bested by a princess. I do not know if I could ever let you live it down.” She confessed with her own gentle laugh.

Her grin softened as he insisted she take the break. Remembering her agreement to the conditions of her training, she bit her tongue and allowed for him to take the wooden sword from her hand. She had a feeling the extent of her exhaustion wouldn’t hit her until later in the day, though she still did have every intention on preparing them a nice dinner that evening. It would be her way of repaying Emory for helping train her. She took a few steps back from him into the shade of the tree. The canopy of leaves and branches was an immediate relief from the harsh sun. She brought her sleeve up to wipe the sweat from her face then before focusing solely on Emory. She nodded her head quickly, excitedly. She was looking forward to seeing him in action, especially after the rumors that she had heard.

Emory’s reputation was one that was twisted to whichever story had been told. From what she could remember when she was younger, he wasn’t just spoken about as a cold-hearted murder. He was labeled as unloyal, unforgiving. He did whatever he pleased and didn’t care who got in his way. If someone had crossed him, that person was often never heard from again. The stories used to strike fear in her, making her wonder just how one man could do such things. The one rumor that she heard most often was from the knights while they were training. She spent a decent portion of her time studying their movements, mimicking in her head what she could do if she were to pick up a sword. They spoke of how ferocious of a warrior Emory was, how he was unlike anyone they had seen before. She could see in that moment that he lived up to that portion of his reputation.

Her eyes were wide with awe as she watched his movements, swift as the breeze and without any effort. She recognized a few of the stances he used at the beginning, but everything afterwards was unlike anything she had seen before. She took a few steps back towards him after he stopped, mouth parting as she spoke. “That was incredible! I don’t think I have seen anyone fight like that.” She confessed. Her mind was already running through the possibilities of how she could attack like he had. She knew she would need to make multiple adjustments as she didn’t have his strength nor his size, but it was something that she truly looked forward to. “I do think I can best you eventually still.” It was a joke, truly. She hadn’t a clue if anyone could ever come close to the skills Emory displayed in that moment.
 
The expression of dissatisfaction had dispersed from Emory's face as Rose had spoken, breaking him out of the train of thoughts that had been cycling through his mind, causing him to chuckle, "I'm glad you hadn't seen anything that like before," He shifted his weight as he turned to face her, his expression for once settled finally into calm, "If you had I would honestly would be afraid for your own safety." His posture and stances he'd made up on his own was to make killing easier, and allow the usage of not only both hands and feet if necessary to cause further damage and break bones. Emory enjoyed... or rather, strived to disable his opponent as fast as possible if there wasn't an obvious path to cause immediate death. The kingdom's stances was more designed for proper warfare, such as siege battles, developed over decades of prior warfare with not only other kingdoms but as well as the few rogue lords that still owned territory. It was not meant for assassination, something that Emory had struggled with when he was younger for he was quite the scrawny and underfed boy. To pull off the kingdom's techniques with a bit more ease, one had to have a healthy amount of weight on them, Emory had not and didn't for years.

At Rose's jokes at besting him, the man had snorted as he joked back, "Then the day that you do, I can finally lay down my weapons for good. You have said before that a peaceful past time would do me some good." He knew however, that would never happen in regards to him giving up using weapons. The world was too unpredictable, too dark for him to be able to do such a thing. Too many enemies desired his life, and too many looked to steal his lands from him. He chuckled, shrugging his shoulders as his gaze shifted to the wooden weapon in his hand as he mused, feeling somewhat nostalgic for once, "Honestly, when I was younger I absolutely hated the thought of training. I used to be quite terrible at it, you know?" He remembered quite well, being forced to wake up early at dawn with Camdyn and dragged to the training grounds to begin warm ups. But considering his body had yet at the time to fully recover from the Black Market, he was certainly lacking in physical endurance in regards to being able to run or having much stamina. Lack of nutrition had made him far thinner than his half-sibling, and his arms were too thin and frail to hold even the lightest wooden sword properly without it shaking in his hands. Horrid side effects from being drugged increased dosages during his time in the Black Market also had made it difficult for him to breathe, resulting in plenty of moments where he felt his airways being restricted from just attempting to do a single set of ten swings.

"I remember, I couldn't even hold a light training sword like this without my hands immediately nearly dropping the thing... or running out of breath after a single swing." Emory's golden eyes darkened, his lips pursed for a few seconds. Though, his mind was elsewhere, lingering within a faded memory of Lord May yelling at him for his incompetence and the dejected and frustrated feelings that came with it. "What the hell is wrong with you? Keep your guard up, don't allow your balance to be- damn it!" Usually punctuated by a smack with the flat side of a wooden sword to his side, hard enough to leave bruises or welts behind followed by more angry curses. The memory wasn't pleasant, but he supposed the frustration did at least motivate him to get better on his own. Though, considering he was a mere outsider to a family that didn't want him, Emory frequently had disappeared off on his own to the training grounds to improve himself, trying to prove to himself and attempting to gain some sort of pride to spark in Lord May's eyes; that he was good enough, that he could meet expectations. It all was wasted effort though... at least in regards to have anyone impressed at the time. No one would bat an eye at his improvement, and no one had praised him for his skills, because they were insufficient. But, the fool he had been had stilled tried stubbornly, but that stubbornness had given him the ability to survive. That was all that mattered now.

"At least," He began, forcing himself to be pulled out of his own melancholy as he forced the darkness that had begun to try and take over his face, "You are a very quick learner, at this rate you might be able to spar with me soon enough... but I'll have to make sure that you learn absolutely everything I have to offer first before you can get a chance." Extending his hand out with the training sword, he spoke, "Now, try and mimic the first defensive stance I had gotten into. That is the very basic one, if you can master that one it will make all the succeeding stances easier." He would once again correct her as needed, but he was looking forward to see what she could do.
 
Rose’s glee was far too obvious in that moment, something that she couldn’t try hiding even if she wanted to. It was odd for something along these lines to bring someone of her status any sort of delight. Her sisters had never taken any interest in learning how to defend themselves. They assumed that their husbands and guards would do a well-enough job of it she supposed she should be grateful that she had as many sisters as she did. It was the leading reason that her father even allowed her to do as she pleased. If she hadn’t been born the youngest, she had a feeling she wouldn’t never been allowed to learn to shoot an arrow or explore the ground in the manner she did. The thought of her family brought a familiar sense of homesickness, one that was getting stronger and stronger the closer they got to the hall. She couldn’t wait to get back home.

She blinked at his snort, turning her attention from the thoughts that plagued her mind. “Maybe then I will teach you to bake while I am off defending your lands.” She responded with a slight shake of her head. “Or shall I teach you to embroider? I can only imagine the joy you would find in that.” The mental image of Emory sitting and creating delicate pieces with the yarn was something that she wished she could share with him. It was amusing, to say the least. She had to keep herself from laughing at it actually. Her expression grew calmer as he spoke of his earlier years in regards to training. It was a surprise to hear him mention such a thing, but she didn’t say anything on the matter for the time being.

“Well, you truly are an incredible warrior. I believe you are the best that I have seen. I would know as I have had the unfortunate task of watching the Lords’ sons spar at tournaments.” She confessed. There was a stiffness in the air and she desperately wanted to keep Emory from thinking too much on anything that might upset. “I am grateful your skills have grown to be what they are and that you are training me. I know you had been apprehensive about doing so, but I would much rather learn properly than try to teach myself.” She added after only a moment’s pause. Relief flooded her as his expression lightened once more, a soft breath escaping her nostrils. “I look forward to the day I can begin to spar with you. You must promise to not take it too easy on me though. I cannot become the best if you do.” She reminded.

She then gladly took the sword back from his hand, finally beginning to feel the blisters forming on her fingers. She ignored the tinge of pain that came as she gripped the handle. She took her steps back out into the clearing. Once there, she paused for a few moments. Her lips were parted slightly, muttering as she recalled each step that Emory had taken in the beginning. She went over the movements of the stance in her mind before raising the sword once more. She took in a deep breath to clear her mind then. Her gaze was focused forward on the area in front of her. It was almost as though she was picturing someone standing in front of her, about to strike. Her movements were careful as she mimicked what Emory had done for his first defensive stance. She did her best to ensure that it was done smoothly and with as minimal errors as she could. She paused once she finished to look back towards him, hoping she had done it properly.
 
Rose's joke had been enough to pull a smile out of the young lord, causing the man to laugh. The thought alone was absurd, as despite being quite deft with his hands, the image alone wouldn't be a good fit for him whatsoever. Nor did Emory want Rose to actively put herself in danger, that was out of the question... but the scenario in of itself was highly unlikely and so he brushed it off with a wave of his hand dismissively, "I'm afraid both of those things aren't well suited for me. I do have a reputation to uphold after all." Murderous man and all the horrible things that people had stuck him with over the years, and he didn't flinch at shouldering the weight of his reputation either. It kept people away from him.... well, most people away from him. Rose was an exception to quite a lot of things for the man that he just placed her as an oddity in his life, strange but very much welcome now more than ever.

As the conversation turned to her complimenting his skills, the man felt a bit embarrassed, evident by the faintest of red to tinge his face. Why did that compliment make him... happy? Granted, for his skills to be praised by someone he actually cared about felt... good. It felt very good. Of course, Emory wasn't about to allow himself to fully bask in the praise, stifling the swell of happiness in his chest and stamping own on it before his facial expression could change too much. Though Rose had certainly drawn out more personality traits from Emory that he had been hiding, the man still was somewhat hesitant when it came to accepting praise about his skills from those who actually mattered to him, for he took the weight of such words far more than a stranger. "Yes, well... at least I can watch you to make sure you don't hurt yourself." He paused then shook his head at her, "If you get to that point, I'll make sure I'll take it absolutely as seriously as possible... within reason of course." After all, when he sparred with his sentries, he used actual weapons. One wrong move and his opponent could face sudden death, for he did not hesitate during such brawls, treating the spars like actual battles. Emory strived to make battle hardened, elite soldiers under his command, those who were unable to hold out against him for a decent amount of time would meet their end by his blade; or his bare hands. It ensured that he actually had soldiers who knew no fear underneath him, who were capable of at least surviving fighting him long enough when he had the intent to kill.

Of course, he wouldn't do the same to Rose; never on that level. She was not a pawn to him, nor did he want to injure her at all... which that on its own would be difficult when sparring, but he would do his best. He had to. A feeling of unease settled within him once more, but it was quick to fade as he watched her take the wooden sword once more from his grasp, allowing her the time to be able to go through the stance at her own pace. Crossing his arms, his eyebrows furrowed as she had begun to take the defensive stance, analyzing her every movement. She was being quite careful and deliberate, but approval had settled within the man as she had properly repeated the stance. A glimmer of happiness sparked in the man's eyes in response, feeling a tingle of pride beginning to settle within him as he thought, Almost exact. She's doing so well! The praise nearly had slipped past his lips as he stepped close to her once more as she had paused to look to him, and judging alone from his body posture he was quite relaxed and certainly happy. For her to be able to mimic it almost perfectly after he had executed the stance... was she a natural at this? Of course, there were small errors but that could be easily fixed.

"You really are doing very well, Rose." Emory paused, making only very small adjustments concerning how she planted her feet, but from his rather pleasant mood it seemed like she was truly making the man quite impressed with her. The gentle pressure of his hands had then guided her through the movement of how to get into the stance without hurting herself on accident, instructing accordingly that the stance was defensive, serving to protect vital organs from immediately being struck and to brace for incoming attacks. Of course, he could probably lecture her for hours on how to execute it properly, but he refrained from doing so. After all, it was the very first stance she would have to master, and he didn't want her to push it for too much in one day as he was planning on having her do some physical exercise as well to keep herself active and able to continue training; and he of course would join her.
 
Her hand gripped the handle of the wooden sword a bit tighter as she stood waiting for his reaction to her movement. She wasn’t one to brag, but she had believed she did it well for her first time attempting it. The words that passed through her lips caused her shoulders to relax at the praise. A smile returned to her face once again. It meant a lot to know that she was picking it up much faster than she could’ve imagined. She always had a knack with these sort of things. What she had said about her learning to shoot with a bow earlier had been true. She picked one up at the age of ten, being instructed by the best archer in the kingdom. She spent hours outside next to the knights sparring one another, focusing on how to pull the string back with minimal effort. By that winter, she was hitting every target that she shot at. Of course it took a long time to practice and she had snuck the bow into her room to practice her drawing with it, but she had worked hard to get to the point of being able to shoot on horseback by age eleven. With the way that things were going then, she hoped to be on the same path with a sword.

Her muscles loosened in order to allow Emory to direct her body where he pleased. The slight adjustment that he made to her feet did help balance her own body weight more, causing for her to put more power into holding the sword. She almost mentally scolded herself for not adjusting to that sooner as she knew the slightest of mistake could cause her death with actual steal. Her movements were still a bit stiff; but were becoming much smoother as he guided her along. She took note of each step she took, how her feet would shift in the slightest of ways in order to brace herself. She adjusted her grip on the handle multiple times as she moved, making sure that she would be able to defend herself from any angle if necessary. The longer that she was partaking in it, the easier she was finding it to be.

It was only after they had gone through the movement a few more times that she began to feel the shaking of her arms and the pain in her palm was beginning to evident for her to ignore. The aching of her muscles was soon to follow. The sun was still shining upon them, the heat at its highest for the day. All these factors were quickly getting to her and she knew she needed to stop before it got to be too much. She allowed the sword to slowly drop towards her side, the side time she allowed the weapon to do such a thing from the moment she had taken it from him. She turned her gaze towards the young lord and offered him a tired smile. “I think I am going to be honest and recognize my limit for the day. I am afraid I will not be able to cook later if I continue.” She confessed. She was pleased with her progress for that day alone.

“This is truly incredible though. I wish my father would’ve allowed for me to learn sooner. I could be almost as good as you right now if he had.” She spoke truthfully. She couldn’t imagine the depth to her skills if she had been allowed to pick up a sword all those years ago. She raised the wooden sword once more in order to hand it off to him. Her hands then carefully rolled the long sleeves of her tunic up. She was beginning to get far too hot in the sun. It had been unforgiving that day and the lack of breeze was no help to the situation. She felt much better with the sleeves rolled, but knew it would last for long. She was a bit surprised to see that Emory didn’t seem phased by the heat of the sun, though she didn’t question it. He finally seemed to be relaxing more and that was all that mattered to her in that moment.
 
Emory's eyes was quick to notice her arms beginning to shake, though this was not unusual for a first session, it still made alarm go through him. Luckily enough, before he could say a single word, Rose had spoken which made the man's tense expression relax. Good, she at least was acknowledging her limits right now, which was also an important lesson to learn. Pushing oneself was good, but pushing too hard would risk severely injuring the body. "Good." Though, her choice of tunic didn't help things; but at least she did very well for the first day. Granted, he paused as he added, "A warm bath will do you some good when we get back." Concern on her behalf was evident enough in his words, but he knew she would really be sore when it fully sunk in.

Her next words had made Emory sigh, "Yes, well I'm sure he had his reasons. And knowing you, you would have eventually wanted to test your skills for real once you got good enough." Anyone would, even he had when he was younger. Gently taking the wooden sword from her then, he stepped away to begin to reattach it to the back of Echo's saddle as the horse had taken to grazing on the grasses nearby, "Wooden swords are one thing, at the very least you can only get bruises if you're hit hard enough, but eventually you would have to get used to a real blade in your hands... and I'm sure he didn't want to risk causing you any injuries."

"You are a princess after all, and considering if spars got to the point of using real weapons, then you would be at risk of getting hurt... you really wouldn't be able to test your skills fully without your opponent hold back, if only not to risk being beheaded for... what was it... ah yes, crimes against the imperial family." His head turned to look at her, almost amused, "In all honesty, I don't think you would have been able to get the instruction you wanted if you stayed in the kingdom. I suppose it's lucky that you met me, hm?" It was a joke of course, Emory still uncertain if he was good for Rose or not. Of course, he would not voice this festering concern as despite him still thinking that his presence in Rose's life was a risk.

Despite the joke at his expense, Emory had guided Echo over to Rose, once more assisting her on the stallion and taking a spot behind her, once more his arms gripped the reigns and prompted Echo to begin to go in the direction of the estate; allowing a comfortable silence to follow although he did keep in mind to hurry the pace so that Rose would not be suffering within the heat of the sun. He, however remained unaffected, in fact he felt... great. It was as if it were merely pleasant for the harsh sun to be shining down on him, as if his body was storing the sun's heat within him for energy. This caused the man's eyebrows to furrow a bit; but he would not voice his confusion yet.

Soon, the estate would come into view and Emory had prompted for Echo to head in the direction of the stables, pulling the stallion to a halt before it as he slid from the saddle and helped Rose down, smiling gently at her, "Go ahead and head inside." He wouldn't want her to wait for him to get Echo settled. After all, despite restraining himself from being a bit overprotective, he still desired for Rose to not be at risk of pushing her body too hard.
 
Rose’s eyes softened as she heard the concern evident in his tone. She had a feeling he would’ve stopped her soon anyways if she hadn’t stopped herself. One thing Emory had always been quite careful with was making sure that she didn’t overdo things, especially since that trip to the capital. She was one to push her own limits far more than she should’ve and she didn’t dare want to put any extra stress on him that moment. She nodded her head at the mention of the bath, her mind having already planned on doing so the moment she was able to get up to her room. Her lips twitched up at the joke he gave. “Yes, crimes against the imperial family are quite serious.” Her own tone was laced with amusement. She knew his words to be true though. If she had stayed back in the kingdom, she never would’ve been able to train like Emory was allowing her to. She was quite grateful for him in this manner, though it was only adding onto the long list of things she appreciated about him.

She waited until he came back to her side, leaning up on her toes to press a gentle kiss to his cheek. She had a warm smile on her lips as she pulled back. “I am quite lucky to have met you Emory, even if you do not believe it yourself.” She assured, meaning her words entirely in that moment. She carefully climbed back onto the saddle and adjusted her hands to hold on once more. She didn’t mind the comfortable silence that overcame the two of them as they rode. She enjoyed his presence more than anything. Even when they had first met and he didn’t speak much to her, she appreciated just being around him. Her eyes just focused on their surroundings as they rode through. The faint sound of chirping birds graced her ears the closer they got to the manor.

By the time they arrived back at the stables, the soreness was truly starting to set in. She did her best to not let it show, knowing it would pass eventually. She carefully got down from the saddle with his help, facing him in that moment. “Alright. I intend to bathe first, but I do have some baking to do before dinner if you would honor me with your company while I do so.” She offered him a smile in return before turning away from him and beginning to make the walk back to the estate. Her steps were a bit slower than they had been before, but she arrived back not long after. Her clothes were sticking to her due to the sweat she had accumulated during the day and she knew she needed to wash her hair as well. She would wash the clothes she wore tomorrow. She hoped she could sneak out and grab a wooden sword sometime as well to continue to sharpen her skills on her own. She doubted Emory would be against it if she asked, but she didn’t want for him to get concerned about her overworking herself.

She grasped the handle to the front door and pushed it open once to it. She then hurried up the stairs back towards her room. She let out a soft groan once at the top, her muscles complaining in that moment. She was grateful Emory hadn’t accompanied her inside as she was sure it would only concern him more. She managed to draw a warm bath for herself and get undressed before getting in. She laid her head back once she was. The warm water did wonders are soothing her aching muscles. She brought a hand up and carefully tried to massage the strain she felt in her shoulders at that moment in time. After doing so, she washed her hair thoroughly and then did the same with her skin. She stayed in until the water began to cool. Despite her mind urging her to continue resting, she pushed herself back into a standing position.

She didn’t bother pulling on anything fancier, settling back on the dress she had been wearing that morning. Her hair was pulled into a careful bun in order to keep it from her face while she cooked. She began to make her way slowly back down the stairs and towards the kitchen when she was done. She let out a few mumbles beneath her breath about her pain as she did.
 
Emory allowed a faint smile to cross his face as he nodded at Rose, though it was not lost on him that perhaps the soreness to her limbs was probably sinking in judging alone by the slower pace she was walking at, eventually walking out of his line of sight which caused Emory's smile to fall as he released a heavy sigh, shaking his head. Of course, he knew that this was to be expected, that her soreness was inevitable and it was just normal and nothing too serious... but his heart still squeezed with an anxiety that he didn't know how to suppress. Pushing the surge of negative emotions aside, the man had guided Echo back into the stable and retrieved the wooden sword from the saddle, placing it back where he had stored it before; followed by removing both saddle and bridle from the stallion before him and giving the horse fresh hay and water, it was only then that he had begun to return to the manor.

It would not take the man too long to return to the estate, as he didn't feel fatigued himself considering he didn't do much during the training session, and with the sun oddly enough giving the man quite a boost of energy, he was feeling somewhat better than he had been in weeks. Eventually, the sound of the back door leading to the gardens would be heard, accompanied by Emory's familiar footsteps as the man had stepped inside, the cooler air inside of the estate being somewhat of a reprieve from the harsh sunlight outside. He paused as he heard mumbling, which prompted the man to step forward into the main hall, peering around the corner just in time to see that Rose was slowly making her way down the stairway. As expected... The thought was mostly one of concern as his eyebrows creased once again in an ever familiar sign of worrying. Granted, the young lord found himself doing that far too often lately, worrying over Rose's condition. He never had been much of a worrier before, but considering he only had her best interest in mind, it was difficult for him not to tense up at any sign of discomfort from her.

"Are you sure you're alright? You can go and lay down." He quickly spoke those words, his concern mounting with every slow step she took down the stairway. Besides, he wouldn't want her to push herself more than necessary. Normally, he would be planning already a second training session the following day in regards to his sentries, or forcing them to remain active despite their pain or protest.. but he didn't really want to push Rose too hard. Plus, it wasn't as if the man could taste anything either. It seemed as if the sensation had been lost for some reason in regards to food, though he could certainly still taste other things such as the medication from the Black Market, but for the most part with normal food prepared for himself, so far he couldn't taste a single thing. He should have told both Viola and Rose earlier, and even now he was hesitating to do so, perhaps hoping for different results this time. Besides, who was he to turn down Rose's offer?
 
Rose’s slow steps paused on the step she had been on as she heard Emory’s voice. She hadn’t expected for him to be inside while she was just coming down. Her eyes widened for a moment before she looked at him. A flash of embarrassment was quick to come across her face. “I am alright. I just haven’t ever been this sore,” She confessed with a slight shake of her head. She carefully made her way down the remaining stairs before stopping at his side. “It will pass though. My shoulders hurt the most, but I think I might’ve pulled something in my hip after the first set of swings.” She had debated on hiding that information from him, but she figure he would find it out soon enough. She had a hard time keeping anything from him for long. “Besides, if I lay down I am sure to get bored rather quickly. I really do want to cook for you. I have been itching to since you arrived back home.” She added after a moment.

She reached her hand out to carefully grab ahold of his calloused hand. Her own was hurting due to the blisters now present, but she was pushing that aside. It was the least of her pain right now. With a gentle tug, she began to lead him towards the kitchen. She was much more relaxed than compared to the day before. She was trying to focus on little bits of her day at a time. It kept her thoughts at bay. She pulled him into the kitchen with her, dropping his hand once there. She signaled to the chair that she commonly sat on when she spoke with Viola while she cooked or made tea. “I think I decided on sweet rolls for the dessert. There was a recipe one of the cooks used to make them all of the time when I was younger. She put in some cinnamon and drizzled it with honey and some sugar. I have a feeling you will love them.” She revealed with a gentle smile.

She shifted around the kitchen to grab what supplies she would need. She was also planning on making bread for the stew she had in mind. It would be a simpler meal, but one that would be filling for them. She only hoped that Emory would like what she would cook. If so, she would cook for him once every work. It would be a little tradition for her. She carefully measured out the ingredients for the rolls, adding some extra sugar and plenty of cinnamon. She kneaded it into a dough before pulling little bits off to crest smaller rolls. A silence had fallen over the two of them for a bit, though her mind had drifted. “I know we both share a mutual hatred for Blaine, but I realized that I have never told you what all happened while we were married. You were kind enough to open up to me about everything. Would you be alright to listen? I don’t mind telling you if you want me to. I haven’t really told anyone about it before.” She mused. She placed the balls into a pan and sprinkled some extra sugar on top. She then carefully put them into the clay oven.
 
At Rose's flash of embarrassment, Emory had raised an eyebrow at her, and her following words didn't seem to ease the concern much in the depths of his eyes, punctuated by a frown that crossed his face. Of course, he was sure that her shoulders would hurt, but the mention of her hip hurting as well had caused his eyes to narrow, "Rose-" He began, about to force her to go lay back down, as if she had hurt her hip, it wouldn't do to have her moving around too much. Perhaps he could get a medicinal salve from the kingdom for her to at least ease the pain? It wasn't as if he hadn't gotten medicine for her before, being far too willing to do such a thing considering not only was she now someone important to him, but he had sworn he would protect her.

An exasperated sigh soon left his lips as she had continued talking, her desire to cook for him forcing the man to swallow back demanding for her to lay down. He didn't want to force her truly to do anything unless she risked hurting herself, which resulted in the man peering at her with a slightly grumpy frown to cross his face as she had grabbed hold of his hand, he didn't pull back and had begrudgingly allowed her to lead the way to the kitchen. Yet, seeing that Viola wasn't there had made the man feel a tinge of unease, one that he stifled just as quickly. It wasn't as if he was against Viola taking time for herself, as she had been present that morning anyways, and she already had been taking care of the mansion daily... but he highly suspected it was because she couldn't bring herself to face him. Was she ashamed? Frightened? He knew not the answer, but he would leave the issue buried for now. No need to allow his mood to darken, not when he had managed to at least make his mind focus on other matters than his past.

Settling obediently on the chair Rose had signaled him to sit in, his golden eyes settled upon Rose as she had revealed what she was planning to make. The idea of sweet rolls made Emory's eyes brighten slightly, though he tried his best to remained composed, smiling back at Rose as she had smiled at him, "I'm looking forward to trying it." From how she described it, it certainly sounded good. So, Emory had remained in the spot he had taken, watching as Rose went about grabbing ingredients and all the things that she would need for preparations; though he himself soon began to fidget. The man wasn't used to sitting still without doing something, as he had always been someone to work constantly, whether it was reading over documents or handling matters with the Black Market, Emory simply wasn't someone to just sit and do... well, nothing. The silence that settled, although comfortable wasn't doing him any favors either, though he had perked up as she had spoken again, breaking the silence. However, he wasn't prepared for what exactly she would offer.

The mention of Blaine had made caution soar in the man's chest. Though, he already had an idea of what the man had done to Rose considering the obvious signs of starvation, something that he was all too intimately familiar with... he knew not what else the man had done to her. Yes, she had hinted before, but he never pressed and pushed for more answers from her because he himself had already a heavy enough past and was a very private man. He assumed that she wouldn't want to speak of it, and their relationship hadn't been as close as it was now. The gold of his eyes darkened ever so slightly, causing a sigh to leave his lips as he was trying to carefully respond. This wasn't something he was taking lightly, especially considering how volatile his emotions had gotten during the night, he wanted to make absolutely certain that Rose was willing enough to open up about what she had gone through. This wasn't an interrogation after all.

"I will listen, but only if you really want to tell me." His tone was controlled and careful, his gaze settled upon her once more, though it was difficult to read his current facial expression aside from the caution that was there. But, depending on how much she told him... well, he probably wouldn't be the best at holding back his anger that he was certain to have. Blaine, as he knew quite well was scum; but how much he had done to Rose... he knew not. Besides, she had listened to his own filthy origins and accepted him still, despite him thinking that alone was a confusing response. It would be wrong of him to not listen to what she had to go through in return.
 
Her movements paused at his words, turning to face him fully for a moment. “I feel as though it is only fair. There has been a lot that I haven’t told you about my past with him. Viola has been encouraging me to speak up about and I believe it is only time.” She confessed. The nerves were piling in her stomach. The two had shared their anger and frustration about Blaine multiple times over the course of her stay here, but she knew her reasonings would be one that caused for him to want to murder the man before her father ever had the chance to know what had occurred. She turned back away from him, her heart pounding on her ears. It was something that she never told anyone before. She had written about it in her journal, but was never able to find the words to explain just what he had done.

Her hands moved slowly to clean up the area surrounding her in order to get the dough set for the bread she was to make next. She knew it would have to rise for a while which would allow her enough time to begin to prep for the stew. “I know I have told you before that I originally thought the marriage would work. He was quite kind to me when my father brought him forth for our first meeting. I believed he was a good match. My father had ensured his loyalty to the crown. Of course being the youngest of his daughters went that he wasn’t as keen on ensuring the match was truly perfect. It wasn’t as if I was ever going to be gaining the crown. Even if all of my sisters did die before they times, I still find it highly unlikely I would ever sit on the throne.” She caught herself beginning to ramble, quickly going off topic. It was a result of her nerves for the situation she was about to reveal.

“The wedding was fine and so was our short honeymoon. He had a lovely personality at first, but I hadn’t realized it was all for show. When we arrived at his manor, he restricted me on where I could go and who I could talk to. I was still so young so I didn’t know any better. I thought he was doing it for my own protection.” She mused as she wiped her hands on the towel sitting off to the side. She then measured the ingredients she needed for the dough. “The list of people who I could speak to grew smaller and smaller and my boundaries were less and less. It was soon to the point where he wouldn’t permit me to leave the house,” She paused, shaking her head at the memory. “You know me though. I couldn’t just stay inside. I snuck out one day when I noticed how lovely it was outside. I didn’t go far, just into the gardens. I thought it would be nice to read in the sun for a while. I didn’t last more than ten minutes before he found out and came outside. He struck me for the first time that day. The bruising and swelling in my right eye disrupted my vision for a week. He dragged me back inside by my hair, spewing curses and scolding me.” Her hands stopped.

“He threw me on the bed and did as he pleased with me while I was bleeding and crying. It was my first time doing anything of the sort. Whenever I begged for him to stop, he would just smack me and tell me to behave. I couldn’t count the bruises on my body the next day. The maids refused to look at me. No one would send the letters I wrote to my father.” Her fingers curled into her palms, eyes closing. “I was completely alone. It didn’t take me long to realize that I was going to have to fight for myself and I did. I tried my hardest to defend against him, but I couldn’t. He wouldn’t feed me. He kept me away from books and any visitors. He stripped me of every piece of myself that I loved, every bit of myself that made me who I was.” Her voice was trembling as she forced her eyes open. She began to mix the ingredients to form the dough. “He did everything to put a child in me and he succeeded once. But I was so weak, so sick that the child didn’t survive more than a few months in my womb.”

“It was then that he realized I was no longer of use to him. I had to grieve the loss of my child on my own. At every function I was supposed to be attending with him, he excused my absence due to me being ill. That went on for a few years before I actually grew ill. It was the sickest I had ever been.” She explained before pouring the dough carefully from the bowl onto the board. She began to knead it. “I thought I was going to die. I begged for death. He locked me away in my room then. I don’t remember much from that bit of time except for constant crying and how terrible I felt. There were times I was stuck with my own vomit, running a fever that had my nightgown drenched with sweat.” She shook her head once more, glad she was facing away from him as there were now tears welling in her eyes. “I am sure there is much I don’t remember from that time period. There are journal entries I still can’t read from the early years of my marriage to him.” Her voice was beginning to shake as well.

“He abused me and treated me as if I was an object. He made the agreement to drop me off here with you not long after I finally began to recover from my illness. He left me with a few bruises to ensure I wouldn’t speak of it to you before you killed me, though I hadn’t a clue that was your original intention. I am sure you wouldn’t have cared at the time. Our relationship was nothing like it is now.” She finally stopped then in order to prevent her voice from fully breaking. She formed the dough back into a ball and returned it to the ball. She set it to the side to rise. She then faced him, tears falling down her cheeks. “That’s all I can find in myself to speak of right now. But that is why I want him to suffer. I want him to feel everything I did.”
 
Emory was silent as Rose had begun to speak, his hands resting before him upon his lap at first, relaxed and calm as she had begun recounting her early days with Blaine. He didn't mind when she had begun to ramble, giving her the time she needed to gather her thoughts together. From what little he recounted from his early interactions with Blaine around the time he and Rose had gotten married, the man thought of himself as smart when... quite frankly he wasn't the sharpest man out there. Perhaps it was an overconfidence in the Erington family name, though that in its own was somewhat hollow as the family had been one to align themselves with the king after generations prior of opposing them. Maybe he deemed that this would be a step of power in the right direction? Well, to Emory it didn't truly matter much anyways, Blaine's conversations with him in the past were boring at most as the man sought to use Emory as a bodyguard, a shield to defend him against other nobles as well as using Emory's connections for trade. He had been a mild annoyance as at best, and a pest at worse. It was primarily why he had skipped out on the wedding between the two, as Emory held no love toward the crown and wanted to avoid Blaine as much as possible, simply sending ahead one of his sentries with a gift out of politeness.

His silence persisted as she had recounted the first count of abuse, when Blaine's true colors had been revealed. Though Emory himself was certainly no stranger to sexual or physical abuse, as he had to suffer and withstand it for a good portion of his childhood; knowing that Rose had to suffer the same humiliation, even a fraction of it had sent at first a mere spark of anger that he tried to stifle. He must not lose his composure now, but at this point the man's hands had curled into tight fists, nails digging into his palms although his expression still was void of emotion. She had tried her best to fight back, but of course what else could she do? She was a victim at the hands of that man, a man that Emory had known to be nothing but scum, a man that was no better than his own abusers. Perhaps this rage in his chest was sparked not only out of a protectiveness over Rose; but perhaps because he knew the feeling of trying to fight back but being unable to. To have freedom denied, to be neglected and cast aside.

Her trembling voice did little to stifle the rage that was building and choking him from the inside, instead intensifying the feeling of anger until it was threatening to drown him in it. How dare he? And for Blaine to turn to him to kill her when he had very well had caused most of his problems on his own? A trickle of heat flowed past Emory's lips, though he firmly pressed his lips together as he tried to calm himself down again. She was not done, for when she had spoken of falling ill, to be left alone and locked away with no possible assistance; that had pushed his temper to the surface. Rage had caused the man to inhale sharply, though perhaps this was made worse by the fact his own past was beginning to come to the forefront of his mind. There was no reason for Blaine to live; it was a simple matter as he knew quite well where the man lived... but killing him would be a mercy, wouldn't it? Did it matter?

Emory exhaled then, but seeing Rose beginning to cry had caused his tone to come out far harsher than he would have liked, "Let me kill him." A sharp exhale had prompted a trickle of flame to pass his lips, though this had caused the man to stiffen, his expression tensing as he lowered his gaze to the floor, composing himself once more. There was murderous intent in his eyes during that moment, an expression so filled with anger it was a wonder that he was not currently rushing out of the mansion to go ahead and kill Blaine at this very moment. "...I'm sorry." He was apologizing for his improper response, now was not the time for him to reacting in such a manner. It was inappropriate, and considering his odd condition, he didn't want to risk setting anything on fire. That was the last thing either of them needed.

He wasn't someone who knew how to properly comfort others; for he never had someone close to him before. He knew not what to say, or if anything could make it better for her, to ease her pain... because he was still struggling with his own. Perhaps, nothing he could say or ever do would make it better, would be able to fully make her forget those days. Eventually, his facial expression grew calm as he finally stood and stepped close to her, his steps were hesitant but eventually he had reached toward her and wrapped her gently in his arms; a warm embrace though the blame could be based on the fact his body heat had risen slightly with his angry outburst earlier, but he remained as gentle as he possibly could with her.

A simple hug was what he probably would have wanted someone to give him all those years ago, so perhaps... this would help? He didn't say a single word, but his arms were trembling slightly, whether that was a result of anger or him remembering his own dark past, no one could really know. Emory merely wanted to hold her, to allow his silent presence be enough to comfort her if it brought any comfort at all.
 
Rose raised a shaky hand to brush at the tears that were falling down her cheeks as she stared at him, that feeling of embarrassment rising once more. She had no reason to be embarrassed by this. It wasn’t the first time that she had gotten emotional in front of Emory. He had seen her at her absolute worse, body covered in sweats and fighting a fever that she couldn’t break. Yet, he had done everything in his power to help her get over her illness. He had done what Blaine would never do for her. She blinked a few times as tears continued to fall down her cheeks no matter how hard she tried to stop them. Her hand just returned back to her side then. There was still a little bit of flour on her hands still from what she had been doing before. Her eyebrows were punched, eyes wide as she tried to push away the memories flashing in her mind.

The first words from Emory’s lips were expected. A weak smile managed to wiggle its way onto her lips. She sniffed gently, nostrils running somewhat from her tears. She shook her head at his apology. “There is no reason for you to apologize. I expected you to say that.” She confessed. She could see the anger that was radiating off of him in that moment. She knew she would be in his shoes if she had just heard everything she went through. She couldn’t find anything else to say in thought, voice catching in her throat every time she tried to. The one thing she hadn’t expected was for him to stand and make his way towards her. She quickly returned the hug that he offered, body colliding against his own. Her arms wrapped around him just as tightly as he held her. She pressed her face into his chest, breathing in his scent.

It was enough to help dry her tears, reminding her that she was here with him and not back with her former husband. She let the silence settle between them until she was finally able to muster up the courage to speak to him once more. “That is why I say you are everything I could imagine. You are what I had imagined romance being as a little girl.” She spoke truthfully. Her voice was quiet, tone still holding the pain she felt from recalling the memories. “You are more than enough for me and will always be. I truly am grateful you decided I was worth keeping alive for a while.” She added. She leaned back slightly in his embrace, eyes turning to look up towards him. “Please believe me when I assure you that.” She leaned up to plant a quick kiss to his lips before she fully pulled away from him.

“Thank you for listening to me.“ She mused. Her eyes fell down to the tunic he had been wearing, realizing she had smeared some flour on it. A stronger smile came to her lips then. “I might’ve gotten your shirt a bit dirty, apologies.” She brushed her own hands back on her dress once more, unable to help herself. It was a bit of a nervous habit, one she didn’t allow to show often. “Though I am sure you know why I want him to suffer now. I believe my father might agree to my terms on his death once he knows how he made me suffer. It is truly the main reason I am so excited to go to the ball. I haven’t seen my family in years and the first moment that I do, I am going to ensure that they make him pay.” Her tone returned to how it had been when she mentioned it before. Her fingers were beginning to fiddle with one another. She bit her bottom lip and glanced away. “Would you want to help me cut up some vegetables? I am sure your skills could come in handy.” She offered, not wanting for him to sit back down. She would feel far more comfortable having him by her side for a bit longer.
 
As Rose had accepted his hug, Emory was relieved to feel her begin to relax in his arms. Though, as she had spoken, the man released a sigh and held his tongue. Of course she would deem him better than Blaine, especially considering the cruelty he had put her through. A murderer such as he, especially when he had chosen to instead keep her for his best interests would be leagues better than someone who put her through such abuse. Yes, he treated her kindly, but only because she had managed to crack through his shell; preventing him from ever truly desiring to hurt her. Before, he wouldn't have hesitated if she shown the slightest sign of being a threat. He supposed she was right, he had changed... but he probably never would have if he didn't meet her.

The quick kiss she had planted on his lips was welcome, though his expression seemed still a bit tense from the emotions that had stirred up within him from earlier. Regardless, he had shook his head at her, "You don't need to thank me... though I already know will keep doing so anyways." Again, rejecting her gratitude, but joking about it to keep the mood light. Any decent person would listen to her without question, and even though Emory didn't think of himself too highly, he still was grateful that she felt comfortable enough telling him what she had. Her next words had made him huff, an expression of dissatisfaction crossing his face, almost sulking for a second as he grumbled, "I could save the king the trouble of even sitting through a trial.." Since of course, there had to be a trial prior to execution of the accused being publicly executed. Perhaps at the most a day would be given depending on the severity of the crime, and if the accused had done something truly horrendous. Of course, all of it could be avoided entirely if Emory would go slaughter Blaine that night, but he would behave... for now.

Turning the conversation away from Blaine, Emory instead desired for Rose to focus on matters that would perhaps make her happy. Considering that he knew she desired to see her family, keeping the topic on them would perhaps be the best. As Rose had asked him to cut up some vegetables, the man nodded his head though he had to scavenge around for an available knife; after all he rarely spent time in the kitchen and barely knew where anything was as a result. Eventually, he had found a suitable knife and had began to focus on chopping up the vegetables she needed; his cuts were swift and deft, granted it was because he was already used to cutting things quickly. Besides, it was better for him to have his hands busy at the moment, he already had been fidgeting too much prior to when Rose decided to open up to him.

"I'm certain your family will be overjoyed to see you again," He said those words quietly, deciding to keep from mentioning Blaine. Emory already was still fuming with anger from the mere mention of the man, so keeping the conversation light was perhaps for the best. "I'm fairly sure all of them will be in attendance for this year's ball." He paused in mid-cut, eyebrows furrowing as he muttered, "Now that I think about it, I still haven't ordered a new suit from Parnell." That was the only thing he had left in preparation to do, his older suits although identical still held the faint stench of blood for when he had to do his other duties, or meet other less than reputable people in the Black Market. Of course, he would have to put a bit more effort in his appearance this time due to wanting to announce his courtship of Rose... and that alone would put him in the center of attention much to his dismay, quite detesting the thought already of having to make small talk with noblewomen or other men of the lesser families that suddenly would want to get on his good side. It made him feel sick.

Shaking his head, he continued chopping away at the vegetables before him, "I'm certain there is going to be plenty of shocked faces this year." More small talk, but at least it seemed like Emory was trying to keep the air light between the two, an effort to keep Rose's mood in good spirits. Certainly a sweet gesture from a man that before even meeting Rose had talked very little and liked his silence.
 
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