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Realistic or Modern Night’s Embrace | Private |

Her silence that followed made dread settle within him. She's shocked, isn't she? Emory wished to laugh, oh what else did he expect? Perhaps she would run as soon as he let her go? That was a more normal reaction than the one he was expecting from her. And then her question came, a gentle question that made the man nearly stir from his current position to look at her. Was it just a habit of survival? Or was he just clinging to that convenient excuse that she had given to make the disgust ease away even just slightly? Regardless, Emory was silent as he could feel Rose's gentle touch tracing small patterns upon his back. Ah, when was the last time someone had touched him so gently? He couldn't remember.

"I felt no disgust... before you came to me." He whispered those words, even knowing fully well that speaking more on the matter would reveal far more than he felt comfortable with revealing to her. She'd heard enough as it was. He didn't interrupt her as she continued to speak, her gentle words soothing although he was desperate grabbing onto anything, any excuse to keep her at his side. A basic urge for survival, was it? Yes. It had to be. Perhaps he'd conditioned himself to enjoy it to protect himself, to not allow himself to be riddled by guilt, to see the state he would leave people in. It was a convenient excuse he clung to; allowing the disgust to fade further away as he continued to hold tightly to Rose as if his life depended on it.

And then she reassured him that she wouldn't leave. That caused the man to take in a shuddering breath, followed by a gentle kiss and holding him even tighter than before. A laugh, despite the turmoil raging within him had left him. "You must be the bravest woman to ever exist." Emory slowly moved, his muscles having locked in place during the silent moment he'd allowed her to speak, it felt as if he could breath again. His expression had not changed as he had let go of her; the emptiness upon his face, in his eyes had yet to fade, and yet he raised a gentle, soft hand to the side of her own, the softest whisper of a touch, though his fingers were trembling as he did so.

"I... don't understand you at all." Words that he had spoken to her before, he didn't understand. He couldn't understand how she could be so tolerant. She truly was everything that he was not. To claim that she'd not run from him was so utterly foolish that he couldn't wrap his head around it. He shook his head at her; his hand lowering from her face and landing on the tabletop. But, perhaps she was only acting in such a way because she'd never viewed what he had done personally? Ah, yes, that had to be it. Searching for an answer for her odd reaction was all he could do to make sense of it.

Viola had reacted similarly, although he remembered her pleading for her life before him in the slaughter at the mansion. He still saw; even if the woman was gentle with him now, years after the event, there was still some fear in her eyes and a distance that she carefully kept. Perhaps, Rose would react the same way? He found that he didn't like that. It's better for her not to see. Stepping away from the table only slightly, Emory had shook his head at her, bewildered obviously. Was it her affection for him? Perhaps. But even that was such a new emotion for both herself and him that he couldn't simply leave it at just that.

"Why? Why are you... why are you staying at my side?"
 
Emory’s comment made a smile come to her lips. “You didn’t truly feel much before I came. I heard the rumors of you from the court while I still lived with my father. They continuously described you as a cold man with no regard for anyone else. You never would allow anyone to see another side of you. Yet you have proven to me time and time again that you care and you are capable of good things. Do you forget how you rushed to the kingdom to get me medicine? Or how you consistently would make sure I was resting in order to heal from my illness?” Rose inquired, keeping her tone gentle. “While you might not believe those small things mean anything, they do. You have done just as much good.” Her words were more assertive then. She was hoping the man would believe her, though she truly doubted he would.

She allowed for him to pull back from her, letting her hands rest in her lap. She didn’t move her gaze from him though. She was worried he might turn to leave or do something irrational. “I do not believe that I am. I believe I am objective and understanding. After all, it isn’t as if I haven’t been around someone who has blood on their hands before.” She didn’t mean it in a negative way. Oftentimes she tried to forget about her relationship with Blaine, though it was very hard. She knew the man had done things similar to Emory. There were many people that dealt in matters within the market. She had grown up around them and each new generation followed in their parent’s footsteps.

“Everyone has done terrible things Emory. I will not pretend as though my grandfather hadn’t slaughtered many in order to gain extra land. My father did the same. I know that people are always looking to further themselves for their own gain. You have done this to protect yourself. Think of it in this way. If you hadn’t experienced what you did as a child, would you still find yourself doing this? I don’t believe that you would. You were in desperate need to find a way to shield yourself from the things surrounding you. You didn’t do this for your own gain.” She explained. She slowly stood, placing a hand gently on his chest. “I know everyone fears you. But there is no reason for me to hate you or to leave you for things that were forced upon you. You can choose to believe my words or don’t. Just know that I mean them. I would not lie to you to protect your feelings.”
 
Emory's expression seemed to thaw as Rose's words were slowly relaxing him, the man's hand coming up to grasp her own. A flicker of life returning back to the emptiness of his gaze as he opened his mouth to begin to speak, "Rose I-" His words were cut short, head turning toward the back door where Leofstan had suddenly slammed open the door, the man was breathing heavily, his hands on his knees as he struggled to catch his breath. "Lord May! Ah.." The man's expression had seemed uncertain as he looked between Emory and Rose, having the feeling he had probably walked in on something he shouldn't have. But, now was not the time for him to allow himself too many apologies, sucking in a breath to try and bring some oxygen to his lungs he spoke quickly, "The... er... man escaped."

"He what?" The cold answer from Emory's lips had made Leofstan flinch, straightening up as he now was able to speak without too much difficulty, "He escaped, My Lord. We're searching for him as we speak, however I'm afraid we must leave quickly, less we lose his trail." Emory's expression tightened, growing visibly annoyed and agitated. Of all the things to happen, why now? Taking in a deep breath to calm his nerves, as well as cool the anger that had temporarily flared to life within him, the man had turned to face Rose, no smile upon his face as he gently raised a hand to caress her cheek, reluctance to leave her all too obvious in his actions, "I have to go. I'm sorry." If he'd not been such a fool earlier, perhaps he would have been able to enjoy his time with Rose before he had to leave, of course he had no intentions to leave so prematurely, but the situation had certainly changed.

"I'll make this up to you later." He forced a faint smile upon his face, though the gold of his eyes certainly didn't brighten as they usually would do with such a smile. He was still troubled, but at the very least not as intensely so a few moments prior. Stepping away from Rose, he turned to face Leofstan, "Escort Lady Barclay, Leofstan." Emory strode away from Rose, pausing as he passed Leofstan and lowered his voice to only a faint whisper, "Make sure you protect her well." Leofstan didn't react, though the man's eyes shifted to Emory as he passed, watching as the door opened and slammed shut. Ah, Emory was furious judging from that alone. I don't blame him, I feel a bit bad for interrupting whatever was happening. Though the mood was a bit.. weird. Tossing aside the thought, the man cleared his throat as he gave a soft smile to Rose, approaching her and bowing before her.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Barclay. I apologize for interrupting your moment with Lord May." A bit of regret had crossed the man's face as he straightened up, his dark eyes having a kinder light to them compared to his brother, Ludovic. A bright, warm smile had crossed his face as he said with a warmth to his tone, "I'm to escort you wherever you desire, rest assured you'll be safe with me. I can guarantee I'm far friendlier than my brother! He's a bit of a... recluse."
 
Rose could tell that Emory was beginning to relax more as she continued to assure him. She squeezed his hand gently, gaze turning to look behind him as the door slammed open. She jumped slightly as she clearly hadn’t expected for it to happen. Some confusion replaced the concern on her face. It was then that she recognized the man that had been behind the counter earlier. Her mouth formed a small ‘o’ as she realized that he must be a sentry as well. It made plenty of sense, especially since Emory told her what he had done just before he was reunited with her a few moments prior. It made her curious to know just how many sentries were around the village, not that she truly would be worried. Emory seemed to have made it clear that she was to be looked out for.

She shook her head slightly, offering him a warm smile. “It is alright. Go ahead. I will see you when you return.” She assured. She hoped that he wouldn’t be too long, but she wouldn’t be surprised if it ended up carrying over into what he had planned for the next few days. His mind still seemed to be bothered with what he had admitted to her minutes before. Maybe he will understand and accept my words. It would make sense as there would be time between their meetings again. She wanted for him to believe her. She wouldn’t dare lie to him. She believed in full that everyone had a side such as he did, though his wasn’t by choice.

She nodded as she watched him step away, allowing a gentle sigh to leave her lips. There wasn’t anything more she could do at the current moment in time. She needed to push this out of her mind for now. She couldn’t control the situation, only giving it her best try to reassure his mind. Her gaze shifted to the man that had been behind the counter before, offering him her usual smile in greeting. “You may call me Rose. I do not need all of the pleasantries. I grew up with them and have grown adjusted to not having them.” She assured. She was sure he would be shocked by her words as everyone was. She only wanted for whoever she was with to feel more comfortable about her.

“You mustn’t apologize. I know that he is a busy man with many responsibilities.” She assured. While she would’ve wanted for their conversation to continue for her own peace of mind, she knew that there was nothing they could do about it now. “Is there a market I might be able to explore? I have been searching for some specific herbs and some paints, but I haven’t been able to find them yet.” She inquired, tilting her head slightly as she did. “I would also love to purchase a loaf of bread if that is alright. It smells wonderful and I cannot resist.” She added after a few seconds with a soft laugh. She wandered towards the counter then. “You do seem a lot friendlier than your brother.” She agreed with a smile.
 
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Leofstan bowed his head to her, his expression warming a bit further as he let out a sigh of relief, "Oh how relieving, forgive me if this may be rude, however I do grow tired of all the titles I have to make sure to keep in my head!" The man had stepped past her, his steps light although he did make sure his footsteps made a sound upon the floor. After all, he wasn't so much of a fool like Ludovic who always kept his footsteps light, barely even able to be heard. Unlike the rest of the sentries, Leofstan always made himself approachable, it was easier to gain information that way instead of sneaking. His brother would call him lazy to not put in the effort of keeping to the shadows, but he would beg to differ. Having to keep up an approachable air and hiding true intent was indeed far more difficult than hiding from sight. Hiding in plain sight was what he preferred and it worked certainly well for him so far. "Lady, lord, sir, madam, your highness, your grace... oh, how dreadful."

He stepped behind the counter, flashing Rose another warm smile, "Ah, that he is indeed. Though, with you around he's been taking more breaks which is good for him." He paused for a few seconds, thinking at her following question, "Hmm... well it's nothing like the kingdom, but I suppose you can get a variety of herbs and probably some paints. We do have merchants that flow in here from the south, Drygulf in particular. Though, you might not have heard of such a small town. Full of sailors that live, breathe, and die for the sea. Dusk's Respite is their only closest trading partners, especially with all of the troubles they've been getting lately- ah I probably shouldn't have said that, promise me you won't let Lord May skin me alive." He chuckled shortly afterward, though he perked up at Rose offering to purchase a loaf of bread in which he grinned, "Oh, far be it from me to refuse your offer, Rose!"

The man had turned away and retreated to the back, humming a cheerful tune as the sound of shuffling could be heard, soon the man returned with a fresh loaf of bread, the bread in particular being slathered with a fine sheen of honey, wrapped carefully due to not desiring for the fresh loaf to be a sticky mess for it certainly could be, "Lord May is quite fond of these, y'know! ...Even if he rarely eats it. It'll only be one coin of course!" Leofstan grinned again, "Haha! Thank you, I pride myself on being the friendly one!" He exaggeratedly winked, if he were to laugh at himself, it would be certainly as natural as breathing.
 
Rose’s eyes held a glint of amusement as she listened to the sentry speak. “I do not blame you. It was terrible trying to remember them all when I was growing up. I used to get scolded when I forget who was who and which title I needed to use for them. Thankfully no one seemed to take it personal due to my being a princess.” She confessed. She was glad to know that she wasn’t the only one who hated having to keep track of all of the titles. It came easily for her sisters but never got her. The change in his personality was a welcome one. Leofstan almost reminded her of Viola. She leaned carefully against the counter as the sentry stepped behind it. “I am guessing that you own this building?” Her tone raised slightly with the question.

She kept her eyes on him as he flashed her the smile. “Well I have enjoyed having him around more. I am not looking forward to him being gone these next few days. The mansion will be very quiet without the company.” She confessed. She fell quiet as she listened to him speak of what all she might be able to get. She was glad to know she could get a few supplies. The rest would just have to wait until they went into the kingdom for the spring ball. She nodded her head with a smile after he let slip some of what was occurring. “Do not worry, I can keep that to myself. I am rather curious about what is happening if you wouldn’t mind telling me the details. I can assure you that it will stay between us though.” She wanted to know what danger Emory might find himself in and just how worried she would have to be.

She looked down to the coin pouch that she had stuffed the candy in earlier. She opened it to pull out two coins instead of the one, placing them on the counter. “You can keep the extra coin. Think of it as my way of thanking you for showing me around the village with Emory is away.” She doubted that Leofstan would want to do such a thing on his own free will. She had noticed the stiffness in his posture when Emory walked by him and walked out. The young lord truly did have many people scared by his presence. She laughed lightly at his last comment and his wink. “I can tell. Shall we be off? I am sure Emory will be busy for a while and I would prefer to get back to the mansion before the afternoon sets in.” She asked as she took the wrapped loaf of bread. She had a feeling she might not be seeing Emory until that evening, if he was able to return before he had to go off on his other duties.
 
Leofstan shrugged, "Hmm, sort of? This place is usually used for being undercover, though most of us other sentries usually come here to rest before going out again. Or if Lord May needs some place to rest as well if he's on an extended leave, after all before you came, he was working around the clock." Leofstan perked up at the mention of her actually saying that she wasn't looking forward to Emory not being around for the next few days, his expression looking surprised. But, then again maybe he shouldn't be? After all, Emory had been treating Rose with far more attention than he would any other guest. "I suppose you're used to most of us being rather surprised that you'd actually want Lord May's companionship... but judging from what I saw earlier, perhaps it's not too much of a surprise." He grinned at that, though hesitation had crossed his expression regarding him unveiling the details of what Emory would be getting up to, his grin wavering for a few moments.

"Hm... well, far be it from me to reject a fair lady's request." His arms crossed his chest, mind casting back to the prior meetings over the course of the past few weeks, "Well, prior to your arrival Rose, we've been having a bit of a problem with Drygulf and another town in between, Freycrest. Drygulf is on good terms with Dusk's Respite and through that, Lord May, and their leader Admiral Milana Murray has been going through difficulties ensuring that her merchants can obtain safe passage since they've been attacked repeatedly by Freycrest's soldiers." His eyebrows furrowed as he tilted his head, "Freycrest in particular has been a location that has remained neutral, since they've been showing aggression lately - with no one having a single clue why - Lord May has brought it upon himself to investigate the matter. Though, there's not only that, Rose have perchance you've heard of the land across the sea from our great nation of Erista?"

He leaned closer, his expression growing serious, "Avrune is its name, and supposedly they've been eyeing Erista's shores for invasion, which makes Drygulf in particular a vulnerable spot since it could be potentially targeted. Of course, your father perhaps have been keeping an eye on the tensions as well which is why Lord May as much as he doesn't like the kingdom has been keeping the peace... as shaky as that is, with the king. Supposedly, Avrune has magic-users, and not just your run of the mill fortunetellers either." His lips turned down in a deep frown, "Though, I doubt the rumors of course. Magic of all things, sounds positively ridiculous... but it's something Lord May desires to keep under control as long as he can, and he's suspecting that some spies from Avrune had snuck through Drygulf and settled in Freycrest in recent years and started stirring up trouble. I doubt it's the case... but stranger things have happened before." He hesitated and added with a smile, "Of course, you needn't worry too much. Lord May is a capable fighter, and I guarantee he'll come back completely safe and sound!" Of course, to a mostly magicless land that the kingdom and surrounding territories of Erista were, the concept of magic as well as anything surrounding it was treated as if it were barbaric, or folklore. Yet, it seemed it was only a matter of time before the other kingdom with very little communication between the two continents would begin to show interest in its magicless neighbor across the sea, whether as allies... or to be conquered. A concerning problem indeed that only recently has been growing in the dangers it posed to the continent of Erista which had been relatively untouched.

"Oh, yes and he's planning on settling the matter with Demelza Gallovan! But.. ah.." The man cringed, avoiding Rose's gaze, "That in particular is something that you shouldn't pry into, for your own sake." Poor girl. She messed with the wrong man. These words seemed to reflect in the man's eyes even if he hadn't spoken them out loud. Demelza's fate wasn't to be a pleasant one indeed, "I suppose you'll only just witness the aftermath. It's better that way." Realizing the mood had turned rather grim, however he brightened up as soon as she had given him an extra coin, a grin crossing his face just as quickly, "Why thank you, so generous." Far be it from him to reject the offer of an extra coin.

Stepping behind the counter, the man's smile had become rather bright again, "Of course, follow me and stay close. Even if this village is rather small, you can still get lost." With that, Leofstan had led the way, humming a rather cheerful tune as he opened the door for Rose then promptly began heading south of the village. Eventually, after walking amongst a few buildings and taking a few turns, the market was in full view. It was a bustling place, although certainly small with some local merchants as well as a few foreign merchants peddling their goods. From exotic food brought from far off shores, to herbs from the northern territories, even some carved statues, Sailor's charms from Drygulf, which Leofstan took a mental note of as he turned to Rose, his gaze shifting over the many merchants, keeping an eye on them each in turn as he chirped, "Here is our marketplace, feel free to browse though be careful if the merchants try fleecing you for everything you have."
 
Rose had nodded as she listened to him describe just what went on in the building. It made sense, especially with seeing how comfortable Emory seemed there. She was glad to know that her arrival caused for the young lord to stop working at every hour of the day. It was no wonder he seemed to be so exhausted most of the time. A soft laugh left her as she watched the surprised expression form. It was clear she had seen many looks like that day. Each one was just getting to be more and more entertaining. “Oh trust me, I am aware. Everyone knows him as a cold man, but I assure you there is another side to him that is kind. Do not tell him I told you that. It will only make him embarrassed.” She commented with a slightly smile.

At the news that Leofstan spoke, her lips turned to a frown. She had been aware of Avrune, hearing rumors whispered through the halls back in the kingdom. The news that there could be an invasion caused for a shiver to go up her spine. Was her father aware of this? If so, she only hoped he had plans of a way to prevent it. “Let us just hope that they indeed are rumors. I am sure that my father has been making correspondence regarding this all. Besides, there is no reason for us to worry until things turn for the worse.” She tried to ease her own mind with her words though it didn’t work. If something were to happen, it would involve the entire nation. She hadn’t a clue if Emory and her father could work together if it came to that point.

A sigh escaped her as she pushed it from her mind. The mention of the shrew was something that interested her greatly, but it wasn’t hard to connect the dots as to what he meant. “Don’t worry, I have no plans to ask about that situation. I have a feeling I know what is to occur, but I don’t need the confirmation.” She assured. That, of course, was before they began to walk from the building and to the marketplace. She stuck close to Leofstan as they walked. She paused once they arrived, eyes widening as she noticed the wide range of items that were available. It was much more than she originally thought she might have access to. “Thank you for the warning. I can be quite good at bartering and I am very stubborn, so I believe I can handle that.” She assured with a small smile.

With that, she stepped forward again. Her steps were slow this time as she looked for what she needed. She found a few shops that sold the herbs that she was looking for. The sentry had been right with his earning. She almost wished she wore a different dress that day. The quality of the cloth led for some of the merchants to try to drive up their prices. She managed to get them down to where she preferred them to be. She also managed to nag a few extra sweets for Emory. She saw the embarrassed look on his face once she handed him the piece of candy before, though she knew he appreciated it. She wanted it to be a surprise for him once he got back to the mansion.

Her arms grew to be full from the items she bought. She purchased a weaved basket near the edge of the market as she walked back to the side they entered from. She placed all of her items into there, glancing up to the sky. A few clouds were littering the bright blue, but it was still quite lovely. She focused back on Leofstan then. “I think it is time for me to head back to the mansion. You don’t have to accompany me if you don’t want to. I can handle myself from here to there. Besides, I am sure you have other tasks to complete in town,” She paused, puffing her cheeks lightly as she thought on how to phrase her next thought. “If Emory is upset with you for not following me back to the mansion, just tell him that I told you it was alright. He will not be happy with me, but he knows I am stubborn and I can make it up to him easily.” She assured. She wouldn’t mind having the extra time to walk by herself. She felt as though she could appreciate the day more then. “Thank you for all of your help Leofstan.” Without waiting for his response or another word, she turned to walk back towards the mansion.
 
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(Gonna do a bit of a sort of double time skip! Super long post warning~)

Leofstan remained a silent presence at Rose's side, observing the woman with care. He was quite intrigued to see that she was quite capable of bartering with the rather greedy merchants, not expecting as much from someone of her status. After all, all of Emory's sentries was well aware of her identity as they should be. As their time together came to an end, Leofstan had bowed his head to her, a smile ever present upon his face, "As you wish, fair lady. If that is what you desire, then I shall remain here." A lie, of course. Even if Rose would desire him to not accompany her, he would persist to do so, although away from sight. After all, Emory had explicitly told his sentries to remain a constant guard around Rose, although away from her sight so that she'd not feel smothered. He could tell she had a rather fierce independent streak from her responses to him alone. Intriguing, but certainly welcomed.

The man remained where he stood in the street as Rose walked away in the direction of the mansion, though soon feeling a presence behind him, glancing over his shoulder to the young man who had rushed up to his side. The wide brown eyes of the boy almost accusatory, "What are you doing Leofstan? You know the lady is supposed to be escorted at all times!" Leofstan raised an eyebrow, though laughing, "Oh, you're far too serious Hugh, lighten up a little!" The man clasped the boy on the shoulder, "Besides, Rose doesn't want me to follow her... not that I'll be in plain sight of course like I usually am. She'll be protected, and you more importantly should still be helping your parents at the tavern, not worrying about sentry duty." Hugh's cheeks puffed up indignantly, eyebrows knitting in an irritated glare as he growled, "Stop treating me like a child!"

Leofstan only smiled again at that as he nudged Hugh back in the direction of the tavern, "Go, boy. I have this handled." The boy grumbled, stomping off as Leofstan's gaze shifted in the direction Rose had walked off to, "And so, my duty begins."
... 3 days later ...​
Emory's expression was blank as he gazed down at the shivering wreck before him, golden eyes uninterested as he lounged back in the plush seat reserved for himself in a secret hideaway within the Black Market. As much as the Freycrest situation demanded his attention, Demelza with her scurrying about from place to place was what he desired to deal with first. I should have been at the mansion by now. Damn it. Anger coiled in his chest at that thought. Yes, because of Demelza always fleeing suspiciously from the grasp of his sentries every time he thought he would have her cornered, he had wasted the three days that he'd thought would be good enough to deal with the situation at hand. Viola would have returned to the mansion, ending her extended vacation and he had yet to contact them due to this matter taking all of his attention. And now, here she was, shivering and bound, and gagged before him, his ever dutiful sentries lingering within the room in silence, the tension rising with each second Emory chose to not speak.

"Remove the gag." As much as he didn't desire to hear her irritating squealing, it was necessary for it would be the final words he would permit her to speak. One of the sentries moved forward, grabbing hold of the gag in question and untying it, though as soon as it was removed, Demelza shouted, her lips bared, hazel eyes daring to spark with anger, "H-how dare you! I am a Gallovan! Do you not know what will happen if you so much as harm a single hair on my head! Besides, am I not to be your wife, and this is how you treat me?!" Emory's lips twitched, his golden eyes narrowing as she squirmed, sitting upon her knees as she hissed, "You were supposed to be my dog! My toy! My mother-" Her words abruptly stopped as Emory had moved, standing as he approached the table resting beside him, a shining blade sparkling in the faint light the room provided, his lips curving in a cold smile as he turned to look at her, "Me? A dog? A toy?"

The man stepped closer to to Demelza as her lips were now closed, fear coming to life deep within those hazel eyes of hers, his hands, gloved moving to rest underneath her soft chin. "Tell me, if this dog... if this toy were to disobey you, what would you do? Hmm?" Demelza swallowed, nervousness causing beads of sweat to appear upon her forehead, "M-my father will wage war on you. H-he'll take your life, your land, e-everything! The king-" His hand wrapped around her neck then, the glove providing a necessary barrier between his skin and hers. He'd not want to come in contact with contaminated flesh, "The king and your father won't do a single thing, if you're unable to speak." His lips curved up in a smile, "And do not think that I haven't heard the words you've spoken to Rose. If anything you deserve to be knocked down a few pegs, no?" His gaze shifted upward to the back of the room, Laurence Barker looking particularly uncomfortable as he shifted from foot to foot, avoiding looking directly at Emory as the man purred, "Barker, didn't you say you needed a fresh body for the night? After all, isn't business running slow?" His fingers tightened around Demelza's throat as she struggled, "I'm sure Demelza wouldn't mind to volunteer, after she's rendered silent of course. And after all, many men would love getting their hands on a noblewoman for the night. You can send her home afterward of course, no need to extend her stay." Emory's eyes turned back down to Demelza, hearing her lips part in a single plea, "P-please, n-no, h-have mercy!"

And Emory smiled.
...7 days later ...​
A week passed since the matter had been settled with Demelza, and Emory had been investigating Freycrest. Suspiciously enough, the town had been abandoned upon his arrival, not a single soul in the vicinity. The town, being one usually quite warm in temperature especially in the spring had been quite frigid, with snow covering the most if not all of the pathway until he had to investigate on foot. His sentries also came back to report there was no signs of life in the area, which was disturbing news indeed. What had happened to the villagers, the soldiers? Even as he passed from building to building, what only greeted him were empty homes with plates of food left out, as if to be eaten but had clearly been out for so long that rot had settled in, attracting fat flies. The barracks in particular was quite the disaster, with dried blood caked into the floor and the walls, but there was no bodies. He made a mental note to send a letter to the Admiral in Drygulf, knowing fully well she would want a report on the odd town.

Footsteps approached behind him, causing the man to turn his head, speaking before he could see who was behind him, "Have you found-"
"Lord May! No!"

The second it took for him to turn, fire a scathing heat burned through his side, his body tense with shock as he landed upon his side in the snow, his breath coming quick as the foul scent of burning flesh filled his nose. His eyes caught a single glimpse of what seemed to be a corpse, a hand raised high with fire blazing in an arch, and a mere few feet away one of his sentries was charging toward the decaying soldier. Even with the sentry's mouth open in a cry, Emory could not hear it. All he could feel was searing pain, his vision blurring until the darkness overtook him.
...2 days later...​
Viola was worried, Emory normally wouldn't send a letter to inform her if he had to extend his stay. The weather had been fair, pleasant which certainly wouldn't mean that was a reason for the delay. Her steps passed from the kitchen to the entry hall, frequently gazing toward the front door as if the young lord would stride in confidently at any moment, perhaps even immediately go to seek out Rose. Her gaze shifted toward the stairway, biting her bottom lip in worry. Rose was someone else she was worried about as well, wondering how she was feeling about the whole situation. She almost felt the urge to go up the stairway to check in on her for perhaps the twelfth time that day, after all Viola was quite the worrier indeed, her frequent visitations often time being on the extreme side due to her desire to constantly check.

That was when a knock had echoed upon the door, a quiet knock which made Viola perk up as she hurried to the door, "Coming!" As she approached the door, a broad smile upon her face, preparing to greet Emory... what met her instead was a silent sentry, the man's eyes grave as he stared down at Viola. The maid's smile slowly faded, her worry intensifying as she whispered, "What happened? Don't tell me.." Her voice trembled, immediately fearing for the worst. Could it be possible? No, it couldn't. Lord May was a strong man, surely nothing could have happened to him, right? Her hands clutched her skirt, "Please, tell me. Is Lord May alright?" Her voice became sharper, intensifying with her panic as the silent sentry stared back at her.

"...He still lives." The sentence made some sort of relief flow through Viola as her shoulders sagged, then the sentry spoke hesitantly, "However... he has been gravely injured." Viola went still then, only for the words to slip from her mouth, "Where is he?" The sentry was silent again, causing Viola to snap, "I need to know, Lady Barclay needs to know as well! Keeping his location a secret from us isn't going to help anything! Tell us where he is!" The sentry closed his eyes, shaking his head at Viola, causing the woman's frustration to mount. At times like these, she detested the sentry's tightlipped responses, even if she knew all too well that they had only Emory's best interest at heart, keeping his location a secret especially after not hearing from him for quite a worrying amount of time was absurd.
 
no worries! c: ))

The days that Emory was gone were lonely for Rose. There wasn’t a way for her to sugarcoat it. She had grown accustomed to having his company while she went about her day. It was also odd to not have Viola around. She did had to admit she was glad that she did give the woman the time off. She knew that it probably was wonderful for the maid to spend the time with her family. The first day she woke early, not bothering to get dressed just yet. She knew there was no one to care about how she looked. She made her way down to the kitchen before she made herself a cup of tea and grabbed some pastry for breakfast. Her mind was set on beginning to clean the barracks up. She hoped to have a decent bit done by the time the young lord returned to the manor. She savored the breakfast in silence, looking around the dining hall. Despite having eaten here multiple times, she never noticed all of the small details in the room. That was one of the things that she learned during her days alone. There were so many little details in the mansion that she had missed before.

After having eaten, she decided then to get dressed. She pulled a tunic and pair of pants out of the wardrobe in her room. She recognized them as the ones that she wore when they went to the kingdom the one day. She pulled them on, making sure the tunic was tucked inside the pants. She had to use a belt to make sure that the pants stayed on. She then pulled on a pair of boots that she had from before. The heel would end up being quite annoying during her cleaning, but that was a memory she wished not to think back on. It had only caused for her to get caught on something, tripping and cutting the palm of her hand on an older piece of wood. She had managed to get it bandaged up with some cloth and it was still healing.

Yet she still worked to clean up what she could. The interior of the barracks grew stuffy as the day’s air warmed. She had to step out multiple times to get fresher air, reaching her uninjured hand up to wipe the sweat that was forming on her brow. The fields surrounding the barracks were filled with the sounds of spring. Birds chirped from where they perched in trees. She could see the bugs flying through the air when she looked out. She glanced towards the sky, noticing the bright blue. She felt a pang in her heart as she wished that she could be spending some time at the lake with Emory. She shook her head to clear her mind before she went back inside.

She worked until the sun began to set on the horizon. She would then make her way back to the mansion to make herself a quick dinner. She would bathe afterwards to rid herself of the grime she had gotten during the day. It wouldn’t take her long to fall asleep at night, her eyes shuffling the moment that she laid in her bed. Each day would repeat like this.

It was only the day that Viola returned that she hadn’t managed to sleep in her own bed. She decided to end her day a bit earlier, exhausted from everything that she had been doing the past few days. After dinner, she found herself sitting on one of the many couches that sat in the greeting room near the library. She pulled a book from the shelf to read for a little. She ended up falling asleep there that evening. She woke early when the door to the mansion creaked open, slowly lifting her head to see who it was. While she was glad to see the maid, she was disappointed that it hadn’t been Emory.

She had continued working on the barracks for two days after before she decided that she needed a break. Her mind was growing uneasy with Emory having not returned by then. She didn’t know if anything had happened to him and it caused for her panic to grow. It got worse as the days continued to go on. Her mind was racing through multiple thoughts that were all negative. She paced in her room, the door open in case there was news that Emory had returned. I told him to be careful. I shouldn’t have let him go. If I had just convinced him to stay, convinced him that this wasn’t worth it— She shook her head to try and clear it. Her eyes stung with tears soon following. She reached up a hand to try to wipe them away, but they continued to flow without any sign of stopping.

She paused when she heard the familiar sound of the mansion door opening. She wiped at her tears once again before she rushed out of the room. She stood at the top of the stairs, gazing down to see if it was finally him. It felt as though her heart stopped when she noticed that it was a sentry. There was a growing pressure that felt as though she was suffocating. “Where is Emory?” She demanded, her tone having shifted to be colder. She made her way down the stairs then. She didn’t bother to wipe her tears any longer as she knew there was no reason for her to. “I do not care what he might’ve said to you. I demand to know where he is.” Her voice was shaking. She soon came to stand next to Viola.
 
The sentry's gaze shifted toward Rose as she had approached, the man bowing his head to her, "Unfortunately, I cannot do that. I'm sorry, Lady Barclay-" Viola opened her mouth to protest, to add unto Rose's words, but before she could, another sentry had walked into view. Leofstan's approach was silent, his face having a familiar smile upon it as he said in a quieter, gentle tone, "Oh, lay off it will you, Mathias? They deserve to know what happened to him." The silent sentry's eyes narrowed as he turned to look at Leofstan, "You're getting way out of line, Leofstan. Lord May's safety must come first-"

"Are you saying they cannot be trusted? C'mon now, you know how absurd that is."
"Anyone can be a traitor."
"I can assure you, they are not."

There was a tense bit of silence between the two sentries, a tense standoff, Leofstan still smiling but a warning within the man's eyes eventually had caused Mathias to back down, the silent sentry bowing to Rose before turning away and taking his leave, vanishing from the sight of the mansion as Leofstan had breathed a heavy sigh, turning toward Viola and Rose. His smile faded, expression grim as he spoke, "I'm sorry about that. All of us has been on... edge. I assure you, Lord May is alive. However," He raised a finger, "I can only take one of you with me, security reasons of course. And I'm sure you'll agree with me Viola if Rose is the one to come with me." Viola sighed, nodding her head, her expression grim as she turned toward Rose, attempting to comfort her with a wavering smile, "Please, go on ahead Lady Barclay." She knew more than anything Rose had a more personal stake in Emory's current condition. She would stay behind and watch the mansion, such was her duty, and hopefully Emory would be able to return soon.

With Viola's words, Leofstan had smiled, though his smile was dim as he said softly, "Good. Now," He held out his hand to Rose, "Anticipating this would happen sooner or later, I prepared a carriage ahead of time to take us where we need to go." The carriage in question was a small, more discreet one that Emory frequently used when he desired to go somewhere but not drag too much attention to himself. He held out his hand for Rose to take it, though once she had the sentry had began to walk, leading down a secret pathway hidden by some bushes on the edge of the tree line of the estate, the carriage as promised waiting for them. Approaching it, the man had opened the door for Rose to enter, making sure she was secure the man had closed the door behind her and climbed up to settle upon the carriage, picking up the reigns and urging the two horses tethered to the carriage to move. And then, they were off.

The scenery passed by in a blur as the carriage moved through the forest, following a hidden path leading south out of Dusk's Respite. It took a little over an hour of travel time, with the more busy area of the village being replaced by hills of wheat and farmland. Eventually, the carriage would come to a stop in front of what was a humble house with plenty of sentries posted amongst the perimeter, although only coming into view at the approaching carriage, apprehension within the gazes of the silent men and women as Leofstan had pulled the carriage to a halt. Leaping down from his place, Leofstan had circled the edge of the carriage and opened the door for Rose, offering her his hand once more and a soft, almost worried smile, "Before we go in, I must warn you... brace yourself." He wasn't going to sugarcoat Emory's condition for Rose, as she deserved the truth. With that being said, the sentry had led the way to the humble, small house as the silent sentries had watched the two's progress with apprehension in their gazes, and soon the door would open, with it brought the smell of illness and sweat.

Emory was located in the very back of the small room, resting upon a bed, his eyes closed and features as pale as death. Any vibrancy had been lost from his skin, it having taken on a grayish tint. Leofstan had approached the man's side, murmuring to Rose, "Stand back." As he said those words, he then removed the covers that had been concealing majority of Emory's body from view, bandages completely covered the man's torso and left arm, including his left hand, fresh blood dirtying the bandages and if one looked close enough at the very edge where the bandage had slipped just enough, it was a horrid burn. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, as if he was struggling to breathe, eyelids flickering as fresh sweat poured from him. Leofstan's expression was grim as he spoke, "He's been like this since he had been attacked at Freycrest. The corpse of a soldier had attacked him with fire, and he's been unable to wake." He got to one knee, his eyebrows furrowing as he gazed at Emory's skin, "His skin has been losing color rapidly as well. And as much as we try to stop the bleeding, it starts anew from the burn. All we have been able to do was keep him stable enough, but we haven't be able to ease his suffering."

He bowed his head, his frown deepening, "We failed to protect him... I'm so very sorry Rose."
 
Rose’s expression grew frigid with anger as the sentry originally refused to give her the information as to where Emory was located. She felt as though she deserved to know after having not received any word in weeks. She glared at Mathias, even as Leofstan came forward to their defense. She only looked to him when the other male stepped away. The pressure only grew with the way he spoke. She knew it mustn’t be good. She slowly nodded, glancing to Viola. She didn’t speak as she followed the sentry to the carriage that he had arranged to take them, taking his hand while she did. The sky had turned overcast for the first time in days, casting a shadow on their surrounding. She carefully climbed into the carriage without a word.

The long carriage ride was excruciating on her mind. She felt as though everything had gone wrong, like the world she was slowly building around herself came completely shattering down. She didn’t try to stop her tears from falling while she was alone. There was no reason for her to. She was allowed to grieve for whatever happened. She kept her eyes fixed on the seat in front of her. Her eyes were a bit red due to the irritation that came with the tears. By the time that they had arrived at the house, she managed to get them under control. She couldn’t feel anything other than an overwhelming numbness.

She carefully climbed down from the carriage, lips parted as she took a deep breath. Leofstan’s words didn’t help ease her mind any. With the amount of sentries that stood guarding the house, she knew it wasn’t good. She slowly followed him inside. Her eyes fell on Emory as soon as they walked in. That familiar squeezing of her heart returned and a gasp left her. She moved closer to the bed, standing farther back as Leofstan instructed. She moved forward after he pulled the blanket back. Tears brimmed in her eyes, blurring her vision.

She was silent for a few moments as she allowed her tears to fall. It was hard to read her reaction to the situation. The way in which he laid reminded her so much of her mother on her deathbed. The memories flashed before her eyes as her hands gripped each other, fingers twisting together. She closed her eyes while taking a deep breath. Once she opened them, she stepped closer to the bed and closer to Emory. She kneeled beside the bed, her expression still not changing. “You had promised me you wouldn’t get hurt.” She whispered to him, her body trembling. “You aren’t allowed to leave me now Emory, not after I finally was able to find you. Do you hear me? I forbid it.” Her tone grew a bit louder as she reached forward to place a gentle hand on his forehead. She brushed a few strands of his hair back from his face before she slowly stood.

She reached to wipe her cheeks free of tears, looking at Leofstan. There was an unreadable anger that sat behind her green eyes. Everything about her was different compared to the normally kind and happy presence she put forth. “Get me a tunic, pants, and a cloak. There is medicine in the kingdom that might be able to help him. There are shops that have creams and better bandages. I cannot go dressed as I am in case someone recognizes me. I am sure you must have some extra clothes somewhere for me to wear. Get me a horse as well.” Her tone was harsher, mimicking the way that Emory spoke when he was around those he had power over. She looked to any of the sentries in the room with them while she spoke. “Continue to watch him. I will return as quickly as I can.”
 
Leofstan hadn't expected Rose's demeanor to change, however it was a welcome change indeed, granted he didn't know what he had been expecting from her in the first place. The man's lips turned up in a faint smile, "Of course, we will do as you ask." His gaze shifted to the sentries whom had entered in behind him, though they too seemed to react to the change in Rose's demeanor, fleeing from her sight as the sound of shuffling could be heard; one sentry in particular running to a connecting room and scavenging about for the clothing she had requested. The other sentries had left to the front of the house to unhook one of the horses from the carriage, as this was being done, Leofstan had stood before Rose, his expression grave, serious, "I'll come with you. I'll keep my distance, however Lord May had ordered for me to watch you." His hands clenched into tighter fists as his gaze dropped to Emory's body, "...I'll make sure I'll fulfill my orders as best as I can." The fierce loyalty to his tone was obvious, this wasn't something he'll take refusal to. He'll simply follow her regardless.

The man nearly jumped out of his skin however as Emory had shifted in his position, coughs beginning to rack the man's body only for him to grow still once more, his breathing ragged as a slight, pained groan had left him. Otherwise, afterward he fell silent once more, locked in unconsciousness which made Leofstan's face twist with irritation as he turned his head, snapping, "What the hell is taking you idiots so long? Hurry it up!" The pleasantness he usually would conduct himself with, what he proud himself on was gone. He was panicking, that was obvious enough. At his angry call, the sentry that had been securing clothing had approached, holding out the clothes for Rose as he informed, "This is all we have left, it's a bit large, but it should do." Leofstan had stomped past the sentry, going toward the outside of the building, the sound of a few curses leaving his lips as he was no doubt going to chew out the few sentries outside that was supposed to be securing a horse. The sentry which had given Rose clothes had bowed to her and turned to leave as well, eventually leaving her by herself so that she may have the privacy necessary to change.

Outside, the sentries had secured the horses necessary with Leofstan already mounted upon his horse, his expression grim and determined as he was speaking to a few sentries regarding their shifts. The horse dedicated for Rose was being held by Ludovic, the man's eyes staring in silence at the house, his own eyes showing his anxiety although he wasn't speaking a single word unlike his brother who was venting his frustrations through his endless chatter. The difference between the two was certainly like night and day, but their concern was aligned solely to protect Emory as well as fulfill whatever Rose required of them. As much as they feared Emory, none of his loyal sentries desired for the man to die. He had provided them fulfillment, and safety. To repay him by failing him in his hour of need was not an option.
 
Rose didn’t react to the way that the sentries moved from the room to fulfill her orders. She was pleased though that they had reacted so quickly. She closed her eyes once again, needing to gain her composure so she wouldn’t snap anymore. While she was rather upset with everything that happened, she didn’t need to take out any of her anger on these people. They had done everything in their power to take care of Emory. Her expression didn’t change though as she opened her eyes to Leofstan talking. “That is alright, as long as you are able to keep up. I will not be slowing down or stopping until we get there and get back.” She informed. It would be a long trip, one she wasn’t particularly looking forward to. It had been a while since she had ridden a horse for that long of a time period.

She shifted to look at Emory as he began to cough, concern flashing in her eyes. She moved closer to him, kneeling once again. She placed a gentle kiss against his forehead. “I will be back. I am going to get you some medicine.” She whispered. She stood as Leofstan snapped at the sentries. She looked to the one that brought the clothes in for her. She bowed her head slightly in thanks. She could always adjust the clothes to fit her well enough and it wasn’t as if that was the first issue on her mind. Once she was alone, she quickly undid her dress. She stepped out of it, leaving her in her corset and undergarments. She pulled the tunic on first before pulling the pants on. She managed to tuck the tunic in enough and tightened the pants with a belt. She quickly tied the strings of the cloak around her neck. She then moved her dress to the side. With one last glance at Emory, she stepped from the house.

She strode over to the horse that Ludovic held for her, a new determination on her face. She carefully mounted it, placing her feet in the stirrups. She allowed for her hands to grab the reins with a tight grip. She didn’t wait for Leofstan as she snapped the reins and kicked gently against the horse’s side. The animal went taking off down the path that would lead them to the kingdom. She kept her gaze focused ahead the entire time. They only arrived to the capitol later in the day as the sky was beginning to darken. She carefully dismounted her horse, sliding the cloak’s hood over her head. She tied the reins to a post before she rushed towards the shops she had been familiar with as a child. It took looking through a few until she was able to find what she had needed.

She carefully untied the reins from the post, placing the items into one of the bags attached to the saddle. Her legs ached from the journey there and her eyes were burning. She desperately wanted to stop and rest, but she couldn’t. She placed a hand gently on the horse’s neck. “I need you to get me back to him. I know the ride here was not easy. But please don’t fail me now.” She whispered to the animal. She had pushed it as hard as she could. She mounted the saddle once again before turning the horse back and beginning on the journey back to the house. Her stomach was growling and hurting from her lack of food, but she didn’t fare. She only cared for Emory’s well-being at the current moment in time.

The journey back to the house was longer than the one to the kingdom. It was well into the night, nearing dawn. Rose felt lucky that she didn’t fall asleep while riding. Her head was spinning by the time she got the horse to stop near the door. The animal was panting heavily, nostrils flared. She slid off of the saddle once again before she moved to dig through the bags. She pulled out everything she had gotten. She looked to one of the sentries, handing them everything. “Treat him with this please.” Her voice was quieter and it was clear her exhaustion was catching up to her. The combination of the journey and of the worry from the situation led to it.
 
Leofstan's expression was grimly set and determined as Rose mounted on the horse set aside for her and as soon as she had made her horse begin to move, so did he. The sentry was as if her shadow, trailing behind her and yet not too far. Being used to having to ride in terrible conditions, or even for long periods of time, the ride to the kingdom didn't faze the man... but he was well aware it was taking its toll on Rose. He observed her as she was pushing herself, all to save Emory, and it caused a sense of gratitude to flare in the man's chest. With the darkening skies of evening beginning to settle upon the skies upon getting to the capital, Leofstan had lingered behind Rose as he followed her from shop to shop, observing her movements and keeping a mental note of all the remedies that she was picking up.

However, he knew she was neglecting her own health, and the road back to Emory's hideaway was a long one, so only once had Leofstan left Rose's side, unnoticed as he would pick up some bread and dried fruit to put away in a satchel, it wouldn't be the freshest or most extravagant meal, but it would have to do for the little time they had. Once returning to Rose's side, the sentry had once more settled into shadowing her movements, his eyes focused on the woman, not speaking a single sentence to break her concentration.

Once their long journey had come to an end, dawn was fast approaching although the skies were still dark. The sentries posted about the house had stirred at the sound of the two horses approaching, exhausted from being pushed to their limit. Leofstan had pulled on the reigns of his steed as Rose had handed over the necessary supplies to the sentries who had wordlessly taken the items from her and disappeared inside the house to tend to Emory's injuries. A few seconds of silence would follow as Leofstan slid from the horse's saddle, his thighs giving protest at the action, a familiar pain that he'd grown used to. His hands rummaged about in the saddlebag, securing the food he'd gotten earlier as he approached Rose, a faint smile crossing his face, though perhaps nearly impossible to see in the dark without the aid of the faint lighting shining through the windows of the house itself, "Here. Eat this, you need to keep your strength up." He handed Rose the bread and dried fruits, giving her a slightly brighter smile, although his face certainly seemed a bit haggard, no doubt reflecting how she felt, "Consider it my way of saying 'thank you'." A warm gesture indeed, as he appreciated her efforts.

Stepping past her, the man had stood in silence, gazing at the house, "Lord May informed us that you were prone to becoming ill. Please, get some rest and eat. I'm sure you wish to be hale and healthy to greet the lord when he awakens." Leofstan had a duty to protect her, and he certainly would not want to face Emory's wrath if she were to fall ill while the young lord was unconscious. Thinking about it sent chills down his spine. Yes, without a doubt if such a thing was to occurr, it didn't matter how loyal he was, he'd be better off dead.
...​
By the time the sun had risen high in the sky; it was the only time that a sentry had finally exited the house. The man's face was ecstatic causing Leofstan's eyebrows to furrow, the man being in a nervous one-sided conversation with Ludovic as the sentry spoke in a quickened voice, "L-Lord May regained consciousness!" Leofstan's eyes widened, relief nearly making the man's knees buckle though he had turned around, looking around for Rose. Without a doubt he knew she would want to rush to Emory's side as soon as possible.
...​
Emory felt a searing pain; his tongue felt dry within his mouth, his body feeling as if it was being scorched from the inside. Slowly, the man's eyes opened. Once. Twice. His chest felt unbearably heavy, the air although cool only agitated the searing pain as it went down his throat. His lips parted, attempting to speak and yet all that came was the quietest noise, his voice unable to carry much strength to his words.

"Lord May!" His face scrunched up at the loud sound, desiring nothing more than to cover his ears so that the voice wouldn't echo so loudly. His golden eyes shifted to the sentry who spoke... or rather the large crowd of sentries around him. What the hell... Bewilderment flooded him for a brief second, eventually causing him to whisper, "Go away... its... too... hot... too.. loud.." Their body heat seemed to make the room even more so unbearable, his body tingling with the burning sensation that only grew worse as they had made a sudden wide circle about his bed, giving him a now ridiculous amount of space. And then he heard a familiar voice, though muffled he knew it was Leofstan, and the sentries in the room had cleared out, perhaps an order had been given to make them leave him be? No matter, he was grateful for it.

His breath left his lips shakily, his body instinctively leaning to the left side of him as if to sit up only for his body to spasm from the intense pain lancing from the tips of his fingers and cross his torso, his teeth clenching as a choked sound left him. His chest heaved, struggling desperately to draw breath into his lungs as the pain gradually faded to the scorching sensation again. Ah... damn it. Emory tried again, this time leaning on his right side, struggling to sit upright and eventually managing to succeed. A tough man he certainly was; the scorching pain although threatening to bring tears to his eyes was nothing. He only had one person on his mind right now. Rose. He didn't know how long he had been unconscious; but he supposed it had been quite a few days. Perhaps weeks. He needed to move, immediately. Of course, Emory wasn't thinking straight right now, not thinking on who could have possibly came to his rescue, nor did he even entertain the thought that one of his sentries would inform Rose of his hideaway, or even let him be seen by her in such a wretched state. But one thing that shouldn't be allowed for him at this moment in time is for him to be walking... the very thing he seemed quite determined to do as he slung his legs over the edge of the bedside; his left hand burning at the pressure he was putting on it to assist him to rise to his feet.
 
As the sentry took the items from her hand and rushed into the house, her adrenaline slowly began to wear off. The exhaustion grew to be clear on Rose’s face. Her entire body was aching from the long ride. She hadn’t been sleeping the best these past few nights either due to her own worries. It was all catching up to her very quickly. She let out a slight groan as she shifted to stretch her arms out some. Now that she thought back on it, she was rather surprised that she had even managed to do the trip. She hadn’t done a thing like this before and almost hoped she never would again. It was far too much for her, especially after all of the physical labor she had done in the barracks. It was then that she noticed the familiar pain returning to the palm of her hand. She glanced down to it with a soft frown. She must’ve bothered the scab with the way she had been riding.

She had fallen into her thoughts, not having expected Leofstan to speak to her. She jumped slightly, turning her gaze to look towards him. Surprise flashed across her face, but her gratitude was clear. “Thank you. I hadn’t thought to grab any food while I was there,” She confessed with a slight shake of her head at her own neglect. She ripped the bread in half, deciding that the sentry needed some as well. She handed one half to him before taking her own and the dried fruits. A small smile broke her lips as he mentioned what Emory told them. “I will. Thank you for everything Leofstan.” Her words were quiet as she let out a quiet yawn. She moved to find a seat on the ground leaning against the exterior of the house. Her body pained in protest, but she didn’t listen. She managed to eat all of the food he had gotten for her, or solving one of the pains that she had.

Despite wanting to stay awake, her eyes fell shut and she was quick to doze off. She had her head resting against the wall of the house as well as her back. Even in her sleep she was tense. She didn’t wake as the sun broke into the sky nor as the temperatures changed. It seemed as though everything was slowly catching up to her. A sentry physically had to come wake her when the news of Emory waking broke. She opened her eyes slowly, her mind protesting against the action. She was still exhausted and doubted it would change anytime soon. She did want to see the young lord though. She carefully and quickly pulled herself to her feet.

She followed the crowd of sentries into the house. Despite all of the excited murmurs from the men and women that their lord was finally awake, she could hear the strained voice of Emory. She glanced at Leofstan, watching as he gave the order for them to clear the room. It was only then that she stepped forward. Her eyes widened some as she watched him try to push himself to his feet. “Do not dare stand Emory.” Her words were loud and strict while she began to walk to his side. She still wore the clothes she had been given to go to the kingdom, though her corset was growing increasingly uncomfortable underneath the tunic.

She looked down at him with concerned eyes, shaking her head lightly at his stubbornness in this situation. “You need to rest. I do not know how many days you have been unconscious, but you are badly wounded. They just put the medicine on you earlier and it is far too soon for you to even attempt to stand. Now lay back down.” She normally would’ve spoken to him in the same kind tone that she always did. This time she was being firm in her words. She hoped that he might do so if she were the one to tell him. She turned her gaze from the other male to look around the room. Her eyes fell on a chair and with quick steps she moved over to it. She carefully dragged it to the side of the bed before she took a seat again. She grimaced while doing so.
 
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Emory had not expected a voice to speak, loud and strict causing the man to temporarily pause in his movements to stand. His expression turned to agitation, lifting his head toward whoever had spoken, though certainly it seemed as if he had not recognized Rose upon first glance, his voice strained, almost as if he were attempting to speak again, but all that came from him was a weakened sound, "...I... get... back.. to.." The man's chest heaved with the effort, the searing sensation flaring up from within his throat, his lungs. However, it wasn't long after his weakened protest had the man finally seemed to recognize the woman talking to him.

At first, shock filtered through his expression. Obviously the man didn't expect her to be there, she should be at the manor. She shouldn't be in such a place, especially seeing him like this. He breathed in shakily, voice trembling, "..Why... are... you?" Emory couldn't manage the finish the sentence, his throat protesting from the effort alone for uttering the words. Exhaustion caused his injured body to tremble, but after a few seconds of hesitation, the man had obeyed her. As Rose had explained he'd been badly injured, it was only then that he noticed the overpowering smell of medicine clinging to his body. It made the man's expression twist with discomfort, as it was indeed quite strong. Whoever had applied whatever salve had certainly put quite the generous amount on him.

The thick bandages covering his left side as well as his torso had been changed, no sign of blood having stained the bandages yet, which was a good sign for now. The young lord's mind was whirling, shifting back to the last moments he had been conscious. Although it all was a blurred, confusing mess within his own mind at this point, the intense pain demanding most of his attention. A cough rattled the man's chest, shifting upon the bed in attempt to face Rose, jaw clenching tightly at the pain and only once he had settled had the man looked closely at her as she pulled the chair to the bedside.

She looked exhausted. Concern flared to life in him as his right arm stirred, reaching out to her and grasping hold of her hand. His skin was burning, as if a fire had been lit underneath, although it was a lot worse on his bandaged side, the side that had been scorched. His mind was more concerned for her considering she wasn't supposed to be there, knowing fully well her condition. "You... shouldn't... be... here. Manor..." The broken sentence wasn't the best, but at least he could talk still. He swallowed, taking in a breath, stopping himself from scolding her, knowing fully well he was the one that deserved as much scolding from her as possible.

"...Thank... you..." Emory wasn't a fool. Even if he'd been unconscious; it didn't take him too long to connect the dots, judging from Rose's attire alone as well as her exhausted appearance, she had probably been the one to save him this time. The faintest of smiles had managed to cross his face, his gold of his eyes softening as he gazed up at her, "...Even... now.." No doubt referring to when he had rushed to the kingdom on her behalf when she had fallen ill. It certainly seemed like their positions had been swapped... even if he never would have desired this to happen. It was an attempt to lighten the mood, even if he felt like he wanted to crawl into a ditch somewhere. The pain was intense; a steady burning that perhaps would be making him cry out if he was a far less tougher man.
 
Rose’s eyes narrowed as she watched him continue to try to stand. She shook her head lightly, almost not believing it. It was clear that he hadn’t recognized her by the look on his face alone. She moved a bit closer, watching the recognition appear. “Emory I need for you to lay back down. You are too weak still to do anything. They just put the salve on this morning as well. You need to give it some time to work.” She didn’t bother answering his question just yet. She glanced to Leofstan then. “See if you can get him some water. It will do him no good to be dehydrated.” Her tone had softened a little more back to what it normally was. She then turned to face the other male before she sat and tried to relax.

She carefully took his hand in both of hers, her gaze moving to stare at them for a few minutes. The bags under her eyes were clearly present in the light that filtered in through the windows. Her green irises weren’t shining either. It would take a while for her to fully recover from her exhaustion, but she didn’t care. She was just grateful that Emory was awake. “Well after Viola returned and you didn’t, I began to worry. I didn’t think too much of it at first. I knew you had a lot to take care of. It was only after a few weeks that I began to panic. I thought you to be dead Emory. I did,” She paused, the thought clearly bringing her pain. “Yesterday a few sentries came to the manor. I was lucky Leofstan was there. If he hadn’t been, I wouldn’t have known where you were or just how badly you were injured.” She explained. She would forever be grateful for the man for bringing her here and accompanying her to the kingdom to get the medicine.

“When I arrived and saw how dire your condition was, I knew I needed to do something. I unfortunately couldn’t find what I was hoping that might be able to help with the pain, but the salve will deal with the burns. You need to rest and stay still though. If you keep moving you will continue to agitate it.” She reminded. Sometimes she wished the young lord wasn’t as stubborn as he was. She glanced to the bandages that were covering most of his side and his arm. It seemed as though the bleeding had stopped for the current moment in time. That alone eased her mind. “You will probably have to stay here for a little while longer until we are able to transport you back to the mansion.”

A gentle smile managed to make its way onto her lips as Emory thanked her. “You don’t need to be thanking me. You did the same for me when I was ill. It was the least that I could do.” She spoke softly. If the situation hadn’t been so dire, it might’ve made her laugh. It was actually quite ironic that the two ended up having to save each other at some point by doing a very similar task for the other. “Besides, I cannot allow for you to die on me now. I’ve finally got you after all this time and I would like to continue to have you by my side.” It was her own attempt at lightening the mood. She knew Emory would take it in the way that she meant it. She only hoped that Viola might get news that the young lord was finally awake. She was sure the maid was worried out of her mind after she didn’t return yesterday.
 
As Emory listened to Rose, his gaze shifted to Leofstan who was the only sentry still lingering in the room. The sentry met Emory's gaze in silence, though bowing his head upon realizing the man was looking directly at him, a silent motion to excuse himself as he left to obey Rose's order to retrieve some water for Emory, no doubt to get one of the many waterskins that the sentries kept on hand to keep themselves hydrated as they fulfilled their duties from day to day. Once Leofstan had left, Rose once more commanded his full attention. Seeing how exhausted she was made his heart drop, but at the very least he supposed he would have to thank Leofstan for fulfilling his duties and surpassing them. Perhaps a promotion was in order for the man.

A grim expression crossed his face as she had pointed out she had only found medicine to deal with the burns, but not the pain. "...I don't... blame... it... magic... fire.." He froze as those words slipped so freely from his lips. He shouldn't have said that, Rose was to remain unaware of the situation concerning Avrune as long as possible. That was a matter for him to be concerned by, but before he could sat anything, he spotted a suspiciously guilty expression upon Leofstan's face as the man had stepped into the room again, a waterskin in hand as he seemed far more interested in looking at the floor. Nevermind about that promotion then. The scathing thought ripped through his mind immediately, eyes narrowing at Leofstan as the sentry squirmed underneath the anger in Emory's gaze, clearly desiring to be anywhere but there.

His expression grew a bit annoyed that he would have to stay at the hideaway for a little bit longer. His lips pressing together in a tight, annoyed line even if he knew well himself that movement would not be easy for him. If he was in so much agony now, there's no telling what would happen to him if he began trying to walk or even if he could take being hauled around by a carriage. However, Emory's mind was shifting to the unfinished report on Freycrest. A letter of warning hadn't been sent out yet; that needed to be done soon, considering he'd been unconscious for a worrying amount of time, the situation needed to be addressed.

Emory's mind would be ripped away from the idea as Rose tried to lighten the mood, the man giving her a weak grin in response, "...Not... planning... on.. going... anywhere..." After all, he wasn't the type to die; not from something like this as scary as it was. Leofstan had cleared his throat as he approached the bedside, "I apologize on ruining the moment; but Lord May, you need to drink as soon as possible. I'll help you to sit up." Emory's eyes narrowed at Leofstan, still very much angry with the sentry for letting important information slip, but he nodded much to the shaking sentry's relief underneath the lord's scathing golden eyes.

Leofstan had approached Emory's bedside; murmuring a quiet apology in advance as he carefully assisted the man to sit upright, wincing in sympathy at the sharp intake of pain that Emory had let slip, handing Emory the waterskin to his good hand which Emory reluctantly removed from Rose's grasp, he took the waterskin and tilted it to his lips, allowing the water to trickle down his throat, expecting to feel relief.

But instead all he received was scorching pain.

The man choked, chest heaving as he abruptly removed the waterskin from his mouth, even if the water was by all means normal water, it burned. The inside of his mouth felt as if someone had taken a torch to it, wherever the coolness of the water had touched, instead of feeling relief it was only pain. He struggled to breathe in; his eyes watering from the pain... but Emory was stubborn. Damn it! Much to Leofstan's horror, Emory had tilted back the waterskin again, gulping down the water, tears obviously beginning to spring free from Emory's eyes as the man drained the waterskin for all the water it had. His throat felt as if it were being burned away when he was done; wheezing as he shoved the empty waterskin toward Leofstan as he put his uninjured hand to his throat.

Emory was quite frustrated. One thing he didn't tolerate was himself being rendered weak. But whatever this magic, or even the after effects was doing to him was clearly effecting how his body reacted to basic things like water. The pain was excruciating, but he could bear with it, even if he felt like he was two seconds from crying out.
 
this reminds me of the shadow and bone series in the best way possible))

Rose’s heart dropped at the mention of the magic fire. Her ears almost couldn’t believe the words he spoke. “So it is true.” She whispered. She kept her eyes on Emory though, noticing the way his anger quickly grew. “Do not be upset at him. I was the one that pushed him to tell me what was occurring. After all, this involves my father and my family too.” She reminded the young lord. Her mind was already thinking ahead on a few things, knowing that Emory wouldn’t like what she had in mind. That was, if she even decided to tell him. It would probably make him scathingly angry and upset, so it wouldn’t be in her best interest to include him on her plan. She only hoped that Leofstan might be able to keep his mouth quiet when she asked him for his help. She glanced to the man as he stepped out to get the water.

A satisfied smile grew on her lips as he assured her he didn’t plan on leaving her anytime soon. “Good. That also means not moving from your bed while you heal. Even if I have to step out, I expect for you to stay here until you are strong enough to be transported.” Her tone grew stricter once more. It was clear that she wasn’t taking his injury lightly. He already seemed to be in a multitude of pain. She didn’t want it to get worse by Emory’s stubbornness. “I might still have to run to get some supplies and things. If I hear that you have moved or done anything unnecessary when I return, I will scold you like a child. You will never live it down.” She wanted, squeezing his hand gently.

She slowed for him to remove his hand from her grasp, leaning back in the chair some then. She gave the two as much room as they needed to have in order to get Emory in a sitting position. Her eyes widened as he choked on the water, quickly standing in case he were to need assistance. Her breath hitched in her throat. She didn’t think that he would have any negative reaction towards the water. It just made her realize then how terrible this situation was turning to be. She waited until he seemed to calm down enough to where she could help him lay back down. “Alright. Next time do not be an idiot and chug it if you are having issues. We will figure out a way for you to drink, but you can’t give yourself any more discomfort.” There is was again, that motherly tone. She reached down to gently squeeze his hand.

She slowly turned her head to look at Leofstan. “May I speak with you outside for a brief moment?” She inquired. She glanced back to Emory, offering him a warm smile. “I will be right back.” She assured. She let go of his hand once again and quickly left the house. She shut the door once the sentry was outside with her. “You are going to despise what I am about to say, but it needs to be done. You also mustn’t tell Emory a thing. That is necessary.” Her words were serious, face stoic again. She took a deep breath before speaking.

“I want to go to where he was injured. I know it is dangerous, but if the rumors are true I need to know what happened there and if it is going to happen elsewhere. Not only is Emory involved, my father will seen be as well. Even if I cannot send word directly from myself to him, I can figure out a warning to help him. You do not have to come with me nor do any of the sentries. I just need to rest some before I go. I want to make sure Emory is a little more comfortable before I do.” She finally explained. If the young lord knew what she had planned, he would forbid it. “I need you to promise me that you will not tell him.”
 
(I've never heard of that series, but now I'm interested 👀 )

Emory scowled, almost about to protest at Rose's words that he was perfectly fine, that it didn't bother him. But, from her tone and from the sympathetic gaze of Leofstan, he knew better. A tinge of helplessness flooded the man as he was assisted to lay down once more, though it didn't take a genius to tell that Emory was very much quite upset that he couldn't even so much as drink, or move on his own. The faintest of smiles managed to cross his face as he managed out, although his voice was weak, "...You... have... my... word.." It wasn't as if he would probably be allowed to move from his spot, his sentries were extremely loyal to him and would perhaps even tie him down if they needed to, not that it would be necessary. Once Emory would be left alone, the tough facade he was holding onto now would crumble, and he would give into the agony that was spiraling within his body and raging out of control. For now, he remained brave, silent and calm... for the most part.

Leofstan's back stiffened up as Rose had turned toward him, the man bowing his head to her in response as he followed her out of the house. As soon as they were a few paces away and the door had closed, the man's face had already dropped down in an unenthusiastic frown. He could tell whatever Rose was suggesting, he wouldn't like it. This feeling was all but validated at Rose's first sentence which made the man hesitate. As much as he was grateful to Rose, the man still had to consider his loyalty to Emory. He knew the man would want to know what Rose was up to, but then again it did depend on what she was going to do. But, even then the man had a sinking feeling it would be reckless, and more importantly dangerous.

The man's lips pressed in a thin, tight line as she had begun to explain where she intended on going which resulted in Leofstan sighing heavily. Of course, why was he not surprised? His eyebrows furrowed as he glared at Rose now, "Absolutely not." The rejection was swift, angry almost. The reports from the incident from the sentries that had been there was bewildering at best, terrifying at worst, and with Emory's injuries... no. He wouldn't allow it, at least not without someone who was armed and capable of fighting to go with her. "...I won't tell Lord May, however on the condition you bring at least Ludovic to watch over you. If I leave with you, Lord May will only suspect something is going on." After all, between the two brothers, Ludovic was more adapted to combat and subterfuge, clinging to the shadows and taking out threats. His hand clenched upon the waterskin in his grip, shaking his head at Rose, "I know that if I try to force you to stay here, you'll must likely charge off anyways. Please, be careful when you do leave. Freycrest is not safe, not anymore." The concern was heavy in his tone, but it was clear the sentry didn't want Rose to die. If she were to die, or perhaps get injured, he doubted that Emory would ever recover from her loss... no, he probably never would.

"I'll prepare supplies before you leave, the road to Freycrest is long, though certainly not as long as from here to the kingdom." The faintest of smiles crossed his haggard face at the slight joke, bowing his head to her again, no doubt after their exchange he would go to inform his brother to guard her while he would stay behind to monitor Emory's health, it was the least he could do.
 
it is a book series and has a show on Netflix! i would definitely recommend watching the show because i like it better than the books))

Rose almost rolled her eyes as she was told that she would not be permitted to go. She didn’t care what they had thought about her leaving. This was just her warning. She would be going if she had protection or not. There was a lot more to this situation than she had originally realized and she needed to get a handle as to what was going on. A smug expression came to her face as Leofstan finally agreed to it, if she would take Ludovic with her. It was a reasonable request, one she would gladly agree to. She nodded her head then. “That is fine with me. I hadn’t expected for you to come with me. He already seemed angry enough that you told me what was going on.” She admitted. She didn’t blame him though. If she had been in the young lord’s shoes, she would’ve wanted to keep the information to herself.

“You are correct. I hadn’t really planned this as to ask for your permission. I wanted to warn you where I would be going and when. After all, Emory trusts you enough to keep an eye on me. He would’ve worried if I were to disappear and you didn’t know where I was.” She knew it would probably be much worse than that. Emory probably would’ve had the man killed for not keeping an eye on her like he had asked him to. She offered him a gentle smile in some reassurance. “I will be as careful as I can be. I don’t plan to stay too long. I just want to get as much of an understanding of the situation as I can then I will return.” She promised. She was hoping that there wouldn’t be any issues during her trip. She knew that she would never hear the end of it from Emory, now would she probably be let out of his sight for a while.

“Thank you Leofstan. You have no clue how much I appreciate you doing this for me.” She spoke truthfully. The sentry had done a lot for her during the short period of time that she had known him. His joke allowed for a smile to come to her lips. “Anything is better than the trip to the kingdom.” She stated. She turned to face the door to the house then, letting out a gentle sigh. She opened the door once again before stepping inside. She would hate to keep this from Emory, but it was necessary. She slowly made her way back to his side, taking a seat back in the chair.

“I am going to leave a little later to get some more supplies. I should be back no later than tomorrow morning. Leofstan will stay here with you. Ludovic offered to come with me this time.” She explained in a soft voice, reaching out to carefully take his hand once again. She tried to think of a way to change the topic, hoping it might make him feel a bit better. “I cleaned up a decent bit in the barracks. You wouldn’t recognize it if you were to go in them now. I am quite proud of myself actually. I did accidentally get my heel caught in one of the boards though. I tripped and sliced open the palm of my hand.” She lifted her free hand to show the healing cut. “I felt so embarrassed. Of course it happened while Viola was gone as well.” She spoke with a soft laugh, shaking her head at herself.

“Oh! I have gotten much better with cooking. If we ever do end up doing that dinner with Viola and Merewin, I will gladly cook. This also means I will need to flaunt my new skills to you when we get back to the manor.” She informed with a grin spreading on her face. Her expression fell some then. “I did miss you dearly though. It was too quiet.” She added after a few moments pause.
 
(Ooh, I'll check it out then when I have some time! :o )

Leofstan sighed, the man shaking his head her once more with his responses. Why did I agree to this? It was a thought that would prove to give him plenty of anxiety, especially with keeping Emory out of the loop... something that he wasn't look forward to. He knew well enough he would get quite the severe reprimand from Emory later, but more pressingly was to attempt to get his brother to agree to escort Rose. As he waved to her a friendly gesture as she had walked to the house, the man's haggard expression fully set in as he looked about the front yard of the hideaway for his brother, although to him it wasn't hard to find the brilliant blonde hair of his elder brother lingering nearby a tree, seeming far more preoccupied in the sharpening of a blade, the sentry's hood being down upon his shoulders, a rare occurrence indeed.

Leofstan hummed as he drew near, crouching down next to Ludovic as he put a hand on his muscular shoulder, leaning on his brother knowing fully well it would annoy him, "Oh, dearest Ludovic! My wonderful and charming brother, I require a favor from you- urk!" The blade of the knife pointed at his throat, a pinch causing blood to swell up from the sharpened edge as Leofstan winced, removing his hand from Ludovic's shoulder as he immediately put some space between the two, "Okay, okay! I'm sorry, I forgot you like your space! No need to try and slit my throat!" Ludovic only responded with a grunt, causing Leofstan to sigh, mumbling, "And you've wondered why mother always was worried about you. This is why, completely unapproachable! This is why you haven't been able win the heart of a certain Admiral you've been admiring, you know... Milana, curvy in all the right- hey, hey!" His sentence was once again halted by the blade edge being pointed at him, a fierce red blossoming upon Ludovic's face as he glared at his younger brother, but at the very least it seemed Leofstan had finally grabbed his brother's attention fully for the moment. Good. Let's hope I don't get myself skewered!

"What do you want?"
"Well, as my benevolent older brother, I was hoping you could help a certain someone to do something... a bit risky."
"Risky?"
"Yes, well... you know, Lady Barclay, she kind of... sort of... well, she wants to go to Freycrest."
"No."

Leofstan blinked as Ludovic had turned back to sharpening the knife, showing disinterest in the conversation. "W-What do you mean 'No'?! C'mon! If you do this one favor for me, I'll even put in a good word or two with Milana!" Ludovic tensed, pausing in his knife sharpening, the man's expression twisting, redness coming to Ludovic's pale skin, mulling it over. Eventually, the quiet man had finally spoken, mumbling in a quieter tone, "...Fine." Leofstan breathed a sigh of relief, patting his brother a bit too hard on the back, "Phew, thank goodness you agreed. Lucky enough for me you think with your other head- Ow, ow! Okay, okay! I'm sorry! I was joking, I swear!" Ludovic had his brother now in a firm headlock, the sentry struggling as the other sentries merely stood off in the courtyard, watching the two bicker with some amusement, and others rolling their eyes. Just another day for Leofstan and Ludovic.
...​
Emory's eyes were closed again as his breathing was ragged, in the brief time that Rose had left, the man's face had fallen into one of agony, his left arm involuntarily twitching with spasms of pain that flared with each passing second. It was when the door had opened, had Emory struggled to get his facial expression under control, though upon seeing Rose the man had relaxed slightly, his chest rising shakily as he drew searing air into his lungs. The faintest of smiles had managed to touch his face, though it came out as more of a grimace from the amount of pain he was in. Hearing that Leofstan would remain behind caused Emory's expression to grow... annoyed. He wasn't pleased with the sentry leaking important information to Rose, especially when she should have remained ignorant of the situation until he was ready to tell her, which was preferably never if the man had anything to do with it. However, this annoyance was placated as she stated that Ludovic would accompany her; something that he would approve of if she was merely going out to get supplies.

The man's eyes closed as her hand came into contact with his own, his right hand clenching tightly around her own, although it did little to comfort him from the scorching pain flowing through his veins. As she had spoken that she'd hurt herself while clearing out the barracks, Emory's eyes had opened immediately as she had shown him the healing palm, his right hand letting go of her own and grabbing hold of her hand, peering at the injury with worry reflecting in his gaze, no doubt an overreaction from him - but it was to be expected. She was soft, and fragile to his eyes, someone that could get sick easily. What if the wound would get infected, what then? It was laughable for him to be worrying for her so intensely when he was in a far worse state at the current moment in time, though he didn't much take heed to the ridiculousness of the situation. Instead, Emory had moved her hand, kissing the palm, though the warm of his breath seemed... hotter than it usually would be, as if whatever had struck him, whatever magic was still flowing through him. Certainly something to be expected as his condition, although far more stable, didn't seem to be getting much better.

His golden eyes warmed as she said that she'd gotten better at cooking while he was away. Of course, he could picture Rose being up to something like that, though his eyes rolled at the mention of Merewin, the man wheezing out, "...I think... he'll... be... disappointed... I'm still... alive." Clearly, Emory certainly didn't see Merewin in a too positive light, and he was certain the man was praying for his death. He wouldn't be surprised if he was, but it would be expected, normal. If anything, Emory would love to be feeling normal now. As a silence had fallen between them, his expression grew pained as she had stated that she had missed him. His hand reached up, pressing against her cheek, his thumb moving in light circles upon her skin, "..I.. missed... you too.." He didn't want to leave her side, especially considering the situation when they had parted. She had always been present in his mind during his time he was away from her, desiring nothing more than to be at the mansion and enjoy the time he had with her. No apology would be enough.
 
definitely do! i have a feeling you will really enjoy it c:

little plot idea: with emory injured and everything happening with Avrune, what would you think of rose maybe stepping in to help manage some of his lordship duties but slowly gets pulled in deeper and deeper until she herself starting to help deal with certain things in the black market? over time she just gets more and more involved, almost like she finds herself in a spiraling hole that she sort of hides from emory until it gets to a certain point?))

The pain on the young lord’s expression was recognizable from across the room. It caused for Rose to feel as though someone was stepping on her chest. She despised seeing him in such a way. He didn’t deserve to be suffering through the pain that he was. It hurt her more to know there wasn’t much she could do to help him heal from it. She just have to pray the salve would work on the burns and that it would ease his pain over time. She hated not having the control she enjoyed in this situation. She doubted anyone could blame her. Wouldn’t you want to help the person go loved in any way possible? It was one of the reasons she was desperate to visit Freycrest. If she could find some answers there, she could help Emory and warn her father.

She allowed for his to grab hold of her palm and examine it as she spoke of how she cut it open. “It has healed well though. I felt ridiculous rushing back to the mansion to get it wrapped back. Of course, it is amusing to look back on now.” She confessed with a soft laugh. The kiss made her heart flutter, though she immediately noticed the heat in his breath. The only explanation she could think of would be a fever from his wounds. “I will have a wicked scar from it. You will need to help me come up with an explanation that does not make me seems like I am clumsy.” She tried to steer her mind from her worry, but it kept returning back to the heat she felt not long before.

She rolled her eyes at his comment as well, shaking her head. “He might hate you, but I doubt that he will pray for your demise. Who knows? He might even feel some concern about this situation. He does seem to like me and it would be a pity for my heart to break due to losing you.” She stated with a small smile. The effort that Emory was making to speak gave her hope. His voice was still very scratchy, but it was getting stronger the longer he was awake. She blinked as she felt his hand come to her cheek. She leaned gently into the touch, closing her eyes for a few moments. Her shoulders relaxed some. It didn’t take long for the exhaustion that she had been pushing back to return. She would have to get a few extra hours of rest before she could even think of starting the journey to Freycrest.

“Soon enough we will get you healed to where you can come back home. It will help to have Viola there to care for you as well as myself. I can even check around for a doctor. I wish I had the resources to get someone from the kingdom.” She confessed. She slowly reopened her eyes then, brow furrowing and lips turning towards a slight frown. “Let me for check for a cloth and some water. You still seem to be burning up.” She murmured. She had noticed the heat of his breath when he kissed her palm earlier. The discomfort from a fever wouldn’t be helpful on top of what he was already experiencing. She reluctantly pulled away, standing carefully. She then hurried towards another room. She did manage to find a cloth and some excess water. It was cool enough to where it would work.

She returned with the wet cloth in hand. She folded it to where it would fit properly on his forehead, placing it down gently. “I will make sure the sentries keep an eye on it to make sure it is damp continuously. Hopefully that will help you some.” She murmured. Despite her best efforts to push it down, a yawn left her lips. She reached a hand up to rub at her eyes. Once she was satisfied with it, she scooted her chair closer to the bed. It was easier to hold him hand then. “If I end up dozing off here, wake me up. If you feel like you need to rest though, please do. It is important for your body to heal and that will only help.”
 
(Oooh, all for it! Emory definitely won't be happy with her at all after finding out, probably might send her away to live in the kingdom to her father as to him the only thing that would make him wish for her to leave his side is when she becomes endangered/tainted due to anything involving him/him becoming a danger to her. He doesn't want her to become dirtied by the Black Market like he had, and the only way he could see to remove her from the situation is to cut her off and send her immediately back to the kingdom as much as he wouldn't want to do that. It'll definitely cause a lot a drama, but the more drama the better! Ooh, now my mind is like.. coming up with more ideas! From that it would cause Emory to become a recluse again and close himself all over again because he'll only think he's a danger to the people he loves, eventually resulting in him abandoning his territory altogether and just disappearing after handing the rights to the kingdom so Rose wouldn't track him, or come back to him because of his extreme reaction to protect her *Although a certain few sentries will definitely help her track him down again after a few years due to her involvement with them in the black market trade, making them loyal to her after Emory basically released them from duty; it might take them... probably 2 - 5 years at the maximum since Emory was the one to train his sentries in the first place and every time they nearly catch him, he escapes, might even result in cornering him in Avrune to explore that corner of the world for world building purposes! And magic of course, because some things might happen to change Emory and he'll be like... maybe a citizen of Avrune at that point to blend in, even going under a new alias to try and avoid anyone from Erista to make it more difficult for him to track, and by that point relations between Avrune and Erista would be stable enough for trade, at least I'm planning for it to be, it'll be like a whole new story arc... even if it starts of with sad drama between the two ;u;

...As you can see, I got way too on a roll with explaining this idea lmao!)

Emory snorted, the man shaking his head lightly at Rose at her earlier words. There was little he could say to perhaps cover up the fact that she was certainly a clumsy one, though his expression had softened at that. Worrying, yet adorable. Truly, this beloved woman pulled more at his heart strings causing adoration in his gaze to look at her. Yet, the man had shrugged, pain immediately causing his body to stiffen and spasm as his left side had protested at the action. The fresh pain left him breathless, his eyes closing as he sucked in a shaky breath and forced it aside. "...That may be... true..." He had to admit, Merewin seemed quite fond of Rose, though he wasn't quite sure if that was a good or bad thing yet. After all, the man in his mind was still a 'foul-mouthed hooligan'. The favorite insult for the man made Emory feel a tinge of smugness as he forced his muscles to relax, his gaze never leaving Rose as he saw her exhaustion begin to spill through. Ah, he hated seeing her like this.

The man's lips turned down in a sharp frown, however he sighed at her once again turning far too much of her focus on him. Even if he was in a rough state, it wouldn't do if she were to collapse or push herself far too hard. This reflected in the man's expression, displeasure obvious as well as worry as he watched her speak. Of course, what she was saying was reasonable and he did want to get better... but he was worried she would begin pushing herself too hard for his sake. He didn't say anything, however, knowing she would perhaps be far too stubborn for her own good, and he let his gaze drift to stare upward at the ceiling, his hand falling back upon the bed as if far too weak to hold even the unscathed arm up. His body trembled, heat flowing throughout him as he closed his eyes for a few moments, taking in deep breaths to not focus too much on the pain, merely allow himself to try and separate his mind from it. It was something he often used to do when he was younger, with agony had become far too much for him to handle, so he needed to protect himself before it overwhelmed him.

He was startled however at the feeling of something damp upon his skin... though it did little to actually help. The water, even if it was supposed to feel cool, only felt uncomfortably warm. Emory's eyes snapped open at that, shifting his gaze to Rose as she had yawned, his expression softening. She was doing his best, he wouldn't complain, not that he would have had the mind to anyways. As long as she was with him, he was happy, content. His hand reached out, grabbing hold of her own as he grunted, moving his position and eventually resulting in him pulling Rose onto the bed with him, his right arm coiling around her. Even if the heat from her own body was uncomfortable against his own, the man didn't much care at this moment. He wanted to feel her near him, to feel her warmth. Of course, maybe he was being a bit unreasonable of a patient, but he didn't care. His lips pressed against her forehead, a soft sound emitting from his throat. "...Love..." He croaked the word, his breath rattling in his chest, struggling, but eventually he forced himself to speak again, trying to speak words he'd never thought he'd ever say, "...Love... you..." He loved her. Something that he had meant to say before he left. It was better late than never, but he had desired to say that at least once.

"...Sleep." His demand was quick to follow so quickly after his rather unexpected tender words, his lips once more coming to press against her forehead, before the man had turned his head and stared at the ceiling, returning to what he'd been doing to try to block out the pain.
 
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