• This section is for roleplays only.
    ALL interest checks/recruiting threads must go in the Recruit Here section.

    Please remember to credit artists when using works not your own.

Realistic or Modern Night’s Embrace | Private |

Well that was certainly reassuring, her words on the matter of already knowing what she needed had caused the man's muscles to relax some. As Emory did indeed detest crowded places, knowing that she could handle the matter herself had put the man at ease, if only a little bit. Her chattering continued, and Emory was merely content to allow her to keep talking although he released a sharp sigh at her insisting that she would thank him regardless. He'd might as well give up, considering she seemed rather insistent on such a matter, though she said she was a very polite person, it only served to make him recall her barbed response to Laurence during the night which now that he could reflect on it was amusing indeed. Polite when she wanted to be it seemed.

Her response to his cold answer was not anticipated, judging alone by his frigid expression having relaxed slightly into bewilderment. Once again, he didn't understand Rose at all, though more importantly he didn't understand his own actions since she certainly had a very good point. He was permitting her to do these things, allowing her to make him walk at her own pace and get caught up in her cheerful attitude; but he had to ask... why? By no means would Emory ever allow himself to do such questionable behavior, and he never liked adventuring outside of the mansion with the exception of taking care of business, and he certainly never talked so long with another person even if he had remained silent a good majority of the time. It all didn't make sense in his mind. Maybe, he was merely amused by her and was allowing her to do as she wished? Perhaps, that seemed somewhat more likely he supposed.

In the middle of pondering, he had tuned back into what she was saying regarding him sleeping which caused the man to hesitate yet again. He had hoped it wasn't so obvious, but he supposed he'd might as well take her up on her offer. Emory sighed, hesitation in his expression before he nodded his head, "Thank you." Normally, Emory would refuse and force himself to stay awake and the man never allowed himself to sleep in front of other people. His paranoid behavior would usually cause him to instead stay vigilant and constantly watch the other individual, but Rose so far had shown herself to be not a threat. So, the man had rested his head on wall of the carriage, his eyes closing as it wasn't too long until he settled into sleep due to exhaustion alone. But, sleep unfortunately wouldn't last him too long for every single time he would doze off, even in the security of his own room, his nightmares would begin. He usually would be heavily reliant on the vial he secured from the Black Market to keep him asleep and to not stir, though the nightmares would trap him.

The man in question at the moment seemed alright, as his face had eased into the relaxation of sleeping... but that didn't last too long. In a matter of ten minutes, his features were slowly becoming more and more tense, though no sound would leave him as his mind kept replaying memories over and over again. Though the current one he was experiencing was being locked in the godforsaken place his mother would store him, years before she had ever met the former Lord May, it was a box that typically would be used for storage, she would force Emory inside and forbid him to make a single sound, leaving the box outside in the Black Market's streets as she would go to drink or drag some unsuspecting man to her bedchambers. The cramped space and the utter darkness was uncomfortable, and more so when it rained, and the nightmare in question seemed to desire to bring the sensation back.

Icy cold rain seeped into the box's cracks, slowly pooling unto the bottom of the box as Emory tried to shift his position, his legs being trapped against his chest as the rain steadily began to rise. First his ankles, then ever so slowly it began to rise to his elbows and finally his chest which he could remember at that point crying out for help. He began pounding on ceiling of the box, hoping to grab anyone's attention, screaming until his voice could no longer cry out, and the rainwater had finally reached his neck. He was going to drown within such a cramped space... he didn't want to die. Not now, not yet. And even as he struggled in the box, with it clattering about and the top being locked, preventing him from freeing himself it simply seemed like no one noticed. And even if in the deep recesses of his mind, he knew this was just a memory, the sensation of nearly drowning within such a cramped space made panic settle within his heart as the water continued to rise.

Luckily, just as the water seemed to reach his nose it was then that Emory had stirred, forcing himself awake as his breathing was coming quick as if he were gasping for air. His golden eyes for a second looked panic and sweat had appeared upon the man's forehead as he braced himself against the wall of the carriage, confused for a few moments only to realize where he was. Exhaustion flooded back over him as he forced himself to relax his tensed muscles, putting a hand to his head as he forced his breathing to slow. Right... there was no need to panic, even if he was in an enclosed space it wasn't that accursed box. Just remembered the battered old box had made his throat tighten once more, but he dared not speak, not right now.
 
Rain began to hit the carriage as they got closer to the kingdom. Rose adjusted her gaze to be looking out the window. The sound of the rain was rather soothing to her. She could recall the time that she fell asleep to the sounds of the rain pittering on the castle. It made her body fully relax. She tilted her head back some, closing her eyes partly. She wasn’t able to help herself any. It made her want to fall asleep. She glanced towards the other male as she watched his eyes fall shut. It was odd to see him in this relaxed of a state. She didn’t recall a time that she had seen him like this. A light sigh escaped her. She just adjusted her gaze to be out of the window once again.



She shifted in the seat some more. She really couldn’t wait until they were able to get there. She didn’t mind carriage rides, but they got to be quite boring after a little while. She never could think of things to keep her mind occupied. She would try to bring books with her on trips such as these. She just was far too excited and got caught up in the moment. She had forgotten to grab them on her way out. She could only hope that they would get there sooner rather than later. The rain worried her a little bit more than she would want to let on. She was worried that she would get a chill and that would lead to her getting sick. It would be able to mask her rather well though. The rain would hide some of her features which would lead to her looking more masculine than she was.



She heard shifting in the carriage across from her. She looked back to Emory, raising an eyebrow at him. “Are you alright?” She inquired. Emory seemed to immediately revert back to his usual self and she didn’t exactly like that. She preferred the more relaxed version of him. “We should be there shortly I believe. I forgot to bring my pocket watch with me and the sun is concealed by clouds. It started raining as well.” She rambled a little then. She didn’t know exactly how long the trip was for them from the mansion. She was truly hoping they would be there soon.



“If you would like to, you might be able to sleep some more before we get there. I just do not want you to be exhausted when we get there. I am sure that you are going to find some odd amusement in this all. I know that I find it kind of amusing to be witnessing my own funeral.” She mused. She let a light smile come to her lips. She couldn’t help herself any. “If you want my jacket as a makeshift blanket, you can borrow it until we get there.” She suggested. She wouldn’t have minded giving it to him. This was one of the first days that she wasn’t wearing a corset either. Her figure was sitting rather decent without it. It was much easier for her to breath without it though.
 
Emory, to say the least was not pleased that he had a nightmare while Rose was quite literally sitting across from him. It made him feel an tinge of unease, primarily due to the fact that he never allowed anyone to see him in such a pitifully pathetic state, not that he had completely allowed himself to show the deep terror that he was still trying to dislodge himself from, but the man had regained his composure just enough, though at the mention of rain had caused the male to grimace in discomfort with the nightmare still so very fresh on his mind. So, instead his expression seemed to lack much interest in what Rose had saying and instead despite him returning to his usual cold countenance, his eyes looked as if he felt like he was corner, paranoid almost as his attention was now fixated on the rain. The enclosed space within the carriage didn't really help the paranoid feeling settling within him, but he needed to snap out of it.

He dismissed her concern, nodding his head stiffly as he forced himself to get more comfortable where he was seated, though his expression seemed to pinch the more she spoke, especially regarding him going to sleep again. There was no way he would be able to sleep now, no matter how tired he was, he didn't want to fall asleep and slip into another nightmare. "No. There is no need, I've had enough sleep." A lie, but he wasn't going to allow himself to rest, he couldn't. Perhaps when the memory faded to the back of his mind would the man allow himself to rest again, but for now it was fresh and lingering, and he didn't desire to sleep less more memories would resurface to haunt him again from his childhood.

Her offer to hand him her jacket was of course going to end with him refusing her. He didn't need it, but as he turned his head to actually look at her, it was only now that he had noticed that she was not wearing her corset. Though, it didn't really faze him much due to him being still frazzled from his nightmare, he had to look away and out the window again, his tone guarded, "Absolutely not. Keep it." If he could notice enough of her figure with her wearing the jacket, he didn't want the extra temptation to admire her when she took the jacket off. He was still a man after all, and even if he hated women out of deep seeded trauma, his eyes whether he liked it or not did admire the female shape... though he would never allow himself to stare for long. And he didn't want to even so much as look at her in such a way, he wasn't his father and he refused to allow himself to give into such tendencies especially due to his hellish childhood.

"...I doubt I will find much amusement with a funeral." He spoke those words after a few moments of silence, his expression grim. He didn't like mourning at all, and funerals were long and drawn out affairs. In fact, he didn't even hold a funeral service for his foster family or his mother, merely slaughtering them and tossing them into the dirt to rot. He quite frankly didn't understand the concept of funerals, perhaps due to the cold attitude he took toward everything and the lack of attachment he had toward his own family. There was no smile on his face as the haunted look to his eyes had gradually faded, receding behind the usual cold that would claim him, obviously any relaxed air he held before was now completely gone and he certainly seemed to have closed himself off again, not being as relaxed as he had been before he had fallen asleep, merely vacantly watching the scenery pass by.
 
Rose could tell that something interrupted the other male’s sleep. She inferred that it was a nightmare. She had some herself, but she tried to not let it bother her any. She wrote about them in her diaries. That was the only thing that really ever helped her get over them. Other than that, she shoved whatever was left down and put on her happy expression. She really lost herself in her own happiness at times. She was grateful that she was able to. She knew of many people that weren’t happy, Emory being one of them. She was hoping that she would be able to get him towards smiling more. It would make her feel so much better.



She raised an eyebrow as she heard his comment. It didn’t make the best feeling settle in her. She could easily see how exhausted he was at the current moment. He really did need the extra sleep. She hadn’t seen dark bags beneath anyone’s eyes like she had seen underneath his. “If you say so. I just do not want you to be tired for the day if you do not need to be.” She commented. Her tone was rather light still and she gave him her usual smile. She just wasn’t able to help herself any. She always cared far too much about other people. She would put anyone before herself if it came down to it. It might not always show, but she really would.



She let out a gentle chuckle as she heard his words. “Well if you do get cold enough and need it, let me know. I wouldn’t mind giving it to you for the time being. I am used to being freezing in certain dresses. They really do not allow women decent enough coverage during these months.” She stated with a shrug. She didn’t realize just how much of her figure was actually showing through her clothes. She knew that she was an attractive person. She just didn’t think that the other male would find her attractive. Emory seemed to be disinterested in anything related to women. She didn’t think that he had seen or heard him talking about one in that way at all. She wouldn’t ask him about it either.



“It isn’t an actual funeral. It is a funeral for me. I am not dead. I guess that I am just finding amusement in it due to that. Everyone will be mourning for no reason. My poor father will handle it the worst. I cannot wait for the day where we can unveil our plan to the public.” She was back on her ramblings once more. It made her feel more comfortable doing so. She turned her gaze to look out the window. She was rather silent as they continued on their journey then. She seemed to get lost in her thoughts. She only perked up when the carriage came to a stop. A bright grin spread on her face. The rain was still falling and the temperature was cold, but she didn’t mind. She just put her hat on and carefully got out of the carriage. She held the door for the other male. She knew she needed to be polite in that way since she was to be one of his henchmen.



“Do I obviously look like a woman? I know I am not wearing a corset, but I am worried people might recognize me.” She asked him quietly as they began to walk. She was immediately getting cold, but she could handle it for now. She just held her jacket tighter around herself as they slowly began to make their way through the crowds. There were multiple different mourners. It seemed as if most of the kingdom had come out to mourn her death.
 
Her concern was unnecessary to him, a waste to spend it on someone such as he. Exhaustion was something that was familiar to the man, it wasn't anything that was new. However, being fretted over was something that was entirely bizarre as he wasn't sure how to go about handling it. It made his heart feel... strange. This was enough to cause him to look at her again and see her familiar smile, as bright as ever upon her features. I don't think I can ever get used to anyone smiling at me. The thought was quickly chased away though, as once more he looked aside she continued to speak, more on the matter of the offer of giving him her jacket, in which a tinge of red had slightly crept to his ears as he had not so long ago had taken notice of her feminine figure.

Oh, he was well aware of the dresses typically in season around this time, what he didn't want was to allow himself to linger on the topic in question. Due to it being the late spring months, and the warmer weather brought with it lesser coverage. Of course, women would dress conservatively regardless, but then there were some that he had seen in multitudes of social gatherings that he had to personally attend to whom wore dresses that graciously showed a bit more to the eye; his mother would've typically been one of the latter, as she was a woman whom liked expensive fabric but was all too eager to be able to draw men's gazes to her, opting for dresses which showed typically what would be a scandalous amount of skin and were easier to take off of course. Emory needn't let his mind linger on such dresses of course, for he was dangerously close to picturing what Rose would look like in such attire which he quickly batted aside the thought. My word, just what was getting into him?

"There is no need. Please, keep your jacket on." His tone seemed a bit more harsh than before, which was odd as he once again wasn't looking directly at her and opting instead for looking at the falling rain, simply all too eager to jump on the topic change when it happened. Of course, once more Rose was back to rambling and he was content to listen although he supposed she did have some point in how amusing it was. Mourning over a death that never happened, and he supposed the king would be especially the worse for wear after losing one of his daughters. It was now that he too had to give some thought to where they would eventually have a public appearance, "..Hm.. yes. I'm looking forward to it as well." A distant answer of course, and rather short but it made him wonder just what would be the fall out of such events. Surely, the king would be furious for being deceived by Blaine, but Emory would technically be an accomplice. Perhaps, the king's ire would be placed on him as well? If so, he would have to brace himself.

His thoughts were interrupted as the carriage had come to a stop, and with it Emory could already see the long line of mourners, a sea of dark clothes stretching before his eyes. His attention was taken by Rose as she had opened the door for him, noticing that she had put on the hat in the midst of him being lost in thought. The man had stepped out of the carriage in silence, adjusting to the situation immediately as he relished the feeling of no longer being inside such an enclosed space, beginning to walk behind the sea of mourners although with Rose asking him if she looked like a woman, he glanced down at her. The jacket served decently enough, as well as the hat but his eyes were incessantly noticing her feminine curves when she had pulled the jacket tighter around herself, which he forced his gaze away as he felt tempted to smack some sense into himself. Something really was wrong with him, he never would act like this before.

"No one will recognize you if they don't look closely. Just stay near me and you'll be fine." He said those words quietly, though his jaw had clenched, this could luckily be blamed on the crowd as he was drawing closer to it. However, it was out of irritation to himself that his jaw had clenched, though his golden eyes betrayed nothing. Instead, now he had slowed his pace so that Rose could stay close without having to hurry her steps to keep up with him, taking in the scene before him of the long line that filled the kingdom's streets, backed up all throughout where would be the main square and the marketplace. People were quite literally everywhere, and this made him notice for once perhaps how beloved Rose had been to the kingdom; although royalty did typically have massive crowds showing up out of respect for the royal line.
 
Rose had been quite surprised with the tone that the other male had used towards him when she had suggested giving him her jacket for the time being. It also didn’t make her the happiest that he refused to even look at her. She refused to speak on it though. She knew better than to make a problem where one most likely was not. She truly had no clue that his eyes had been wandering her and his mind had been thinking of her in a different way. She just assumed that the other male hated women and would never want to be in a relationship with someone such as her. She actually did believe that he might never end up getting married. She would never voice that though. Emory was still a powerful man and could do something to her if she spoke out of line.



Her eyes scanned the large crowd on the streets. She hadn’t expected for this many people to come to her funeral. It seemed to be the same amount of people that had come to her mother’s funeral. Her mother had been very well loved in the kingdom. She hadn’t realized that this many people had loved her as well. It caused for a warm feeling to fill her chest. A gentle smile came onto her face. It was quickly wiped off through as she continued to walk. The weather was less than ideal for the day. The rain was beginning to fall harder. She was aware that she couldn’t hug her jacket too tightly to her otherwise her feminine features would show.



She just reached up and carefully adjusted the bar on her head. She bit lightly on her bottom lip. “I will.” Her words were quiet. She needed to avoid talking louder. People would immediately recognize her voice. She had been present for multiple speakings with her father. That was one thing that she wasn’t prepared for. She wasn’t ready to see her father or her sisters. She didn’t want to see the pain in their eyes due to everything. She just shifted to step closer to the other male. She could feel some heat radiating off of his body. It was helping her some.



It took her much longer than she would like until they were able to get closer towards the castle. She was a little shorter than most people in the square, so her view was slightly blocked. She could see her family though. It caused her heart to clench. She really couldn’t wait until she was able to show herself to the public. She wanted to let everyone know that she was alright and alive. Thankfully, by the time they got there, the funeral had already begun. “I wonder if the snake is here to see this. I am see he wants to play the pity-husband card.” She spoke gently to Emory. She was curious to see what his reaction to her words would be. It wouldn’t be easy for her to contain herself if she saw her ex-husband. She knew that Emory was most likely have to interact with Blaine due to the two being business partners. She would have to hide her face if she was with him during that.
 
As Emory slowly followed along side the line of mourners, the somber atmosphere felt as if it were oppressive, with the gloomy weather and the sheer amount of people that were sandwiched into the streets, it did little to make the man comfortable. He was almost grateful that they had reached the castle grounds, although his golden eyes narrowed slightly upon reaching the outer courtyard where it seemed like this is where the funeral was indeed taking place. Emory wasn't feeling too comfortable here, although he knew it would be difficult to pick him out of the crowd of mourners, this was still the heart of what he considered enemy territory. Even if nothing would perhaps occur with him there, his favorability with the royal family was extremely negative, and it wasn't as if he looked upon the royal family with a sympathetic gaze either. No, even as he spotted the king and his other daughters all lined before what was a ridiculously decorated closed casket, he could only think that this whole affair was going to flare up later on.

Their grief was all too evident to his eyes, ignorant to the fact that Rose was safe, but living under the care of one a lord whom opposed them openly. In fact, this situation in of itself just felt uncomfortable, that he perhaps might have bitten off a bit more than he could chew, even if there were a chance of him gaining much from this endeavor... perhaps there was a lot to lose. But, then again Emory couldn't say that he was rather attached to life either. Indeed, as he gazed upon the casket, he knew that if he ever were to die, no one would mourn his passing. He was seen as a villain to many, a monster with the blood of countless on his hands, a monster whom slaughtered his own family. The thought didn't make him sad however, as he supposed that just was his lot in life, and the whole affair of mourning just seemed too drawn out as he looked upon weeping faces and bowed heads, it just didn't seem to click within him. Though, perhaps it was merely because he knew the truth of the matter.

In the midst of his wandering thoughts, he felt a hand upon his shoulder causing the man to immediately tense as his head turned to face whomever had dared to touch him, though his tensed expression had faded into his usual composure as he was looking down at Blaine. The other man seemed to have a rather sad expression on his face, although Emory knew enough it was fake. His eyes were red, but not swollen, and it seemed like the other male had put on his best attire, though this too was perhaps to underhandedly flaunt his wealth while he walked around receiving sympathy. He craves attention, like usual. Holding back a sigh, Emory forced himself to gather up all of his patience although making sure he shifted his position just enough so that Rose could not be easily seen behind him. Not that she would be noticed anyways, Blaine always concerned himself with those who were on "his level". He always ignored Emory's henchmen if they lingered nearby.

"My condolences on your loss, Blaine." A simple response, which Blaine seemed to latch onto immediately, granted he was speaking loud enough for those nearby to hear at first, "Ah yes, thank you my friend. It has been rather hard since she has passed." The other man had leaned closer, lowering his voice into a whisper so that only Emory could hear, "Though, I presume getting rid of her wasn't too difficult for you, yes?" Emory felt a tinge of amusement beginning to settle within his chest as he responded in an equally hushed tone, "It wasn't too difficult at all, rest assured, you may be at ease." He then had spot a glimmer of relief within Blaine's eyes, something that he desired to laugh at though he held it back. A fool till the end indeed.
 
Rose’s expression had been focused ahead of her. She had her gaze on the closed casket that didn’t actually hold her body. It really was so ironic in her opinion. She was hoping that it wouldn’t be as drawn out as it might actually end up being. Since they had already gotten there part of the way through it, she was hoping that it would almost be done. She didn’t want to see her family so sad. It was hurting her much harder than she was letting show. She slowly turned her gaze away when she heard the familiar voice that she had hated for very much. She slowly turned her head around and caught sight of her former husband.



She appreciated the fact that Emory shifted to block the view of her somewhat. She had been worried that Blaine would catch a glimpse of her. She wanted to scream at him. She wanted to tell him to go to hell. She knew that she couldn’t though. She would have her moment where she would get her revenge. She was hoping that it would come sooner rather than later. She glanced around her some more then. People began to try to push forward. They forced her away from Emory. She couldn’t push through the crowd back to him. She wasn’t strong enough and there was too much of a risk to be exposed.



She whispered a few curses. She carefully began to weave herself through the crowd the best that she could. She couldn’t find Emory no matter how hard she tried. It was rather frustrating. She knew that it would be better for her to just try and make her way back towards the markets. She guessed that she wasn’t going to see the rest of her funeral. It would be for the best though. If she was going to try and stay here, there was more of a chance that someone would recognize her. She adjusted her jacket on her some. She was getting soaked to the bone due to the rain, but she would have to deal with it for now.



By the time she got back to the markets, her body was shivering. She stuck her hand into her pocket and pulled out some coins. She stepped into a herb market first. She got all of the different ingredients that she would need to make her teas. She then moved to go and buy her new journals. She got about four different ones. She carefully tucked them under the inside of her coat as well as the ingredients for tea. “I cannot believe that I managed to get separated from him. I don’t even know if he will be able to find me here.” She muttered. She lightly shook her head. She held the jacket around her a bit tighter. Some wind was beginning to whip around then. The storm was only getting worse. She kept an eye out for Emory, hoping he would come soon.
 
Blaine had sighed, though he whispered back to Emory, "I presume we'll discuss more later concerning our-" The man had been cut off as people had begun to move forward, a hiss leaving Blaine's lips as he snapped, "Watch it, you fool! Do you know who I am?!" His complaining had been drown out in Emory's mind as the man had suppressed the rise of annoyance in his chest at the pushing of the crowd until he had turned his head and realized that Rose was no longer at his side and had disappeared from his sight. Almost immediately, a cold feeling washed over him as an odd feeling akin to panic had settled in his gut. Immediately, Emory had left the complaining Blaine without bothering to tell the man where he was going, pushing his way through the crowd as he refrained from calling out Rose's name despite it resting upon his tip of his tongue. With the rain beginning to pour down and the wind beginning to become much more worse, it didn't help that the throng of people served to only restrict his vision even more so than before. Damn it all!

As Emory had pushed himself through the back end of the crowd of mourners, having roughly pushed a few people aside to reach his position, the man was now looking around through the people passing him by, his eyes frantically gazing upon their faces to catch glimpse of Rose. She's not here. Immediately, he began moving through the streets, clinging to the streets edges as the wind had begun to pick up, pushing stinging rain against his suit's jacket, soaking him sufficiently to the core. But, he payed no mind to the discomfort, instead looking like a madman as he stopped at nearly every alleyway within the street, eventually reaching the marketplace as his hurried steps only served to make people give him looks of bewilderment or irritation, some even showing him fear as they ducked out of the way of his pace which was close to him nearly running.

The panic that had pooled in his stomach now rose in his chest, eventually settling on looking through every store that he came across, causing quite a few people to be startled from the look in his eyes as he would perform a brief scan of the store, only to leave to the next and repeating the process. Eventually, the man had soon exhausted the amount of stores he could possibly go to, and at this point in time the storm certainly was picking up to a near fever pitch, making the panic coil deeper within him... that was until he spotted a familiar shape. Immediately, the man had approached, already having been exhausted prior to joining the funeral procession, and with the added activity of hurrying about like a chicken with it's head cut off, his body felt heavy at the moment, absolutely drenched with rain. But, as he drew nearer there was an all too obvious relief in his eyes as he did recognize that the figure he had seen was indeed Rose.

Eventually, Emory had stopped before her, his tone being icy cold, "So this is where you went." The man's face was hard to read, with the exception being his eyes currently of course, and without a moment's hesitation he had grasped hold of her hand and began walking, saying simply, "Come." His grip was tight on her own hand, but it seemed like it was trembling a little... surely such a thing could not be imagined? Of course, this behavior was rather bizarre from Emory, especially if she was supposed to be acting like his henchman, but at the moment Emory didn't care enough to keep up the facade. He wanted the reassurance that she wouldn't be separated from him again, the panic he had felt was utterly unpleasant. If he needed to physically hold onto her, then so be it. It didn't matter if he was getting a few odd looks, he needed her to be at his side, and for once he didn't pay any heed to the fact he was actually allowing himself to have human contact.
 
Rose kept glancing around her as she stood there, hoping to catch a glimpse of the other male. She was truly concerned that she might not be able to find him. What if she ended up being left here? What if Emory just decided it would be easier to leave her? After all, it would be easier for the other male. He had already gone through such a pain trying to help her. She wouldn’t really blame him if he did just leave her. She was sure that she might be able to find her way back to the mansion by walking eventually. She knew the basic path to get back there. The carriages normally followed the same path. She would have to walk throughout the night, but she would get back. She would be lucky if she didn’t have pneumonia by that point.

A light sneeze escaped her. The sound was rather feminine, but she couldn’t help it. She ducked her head, reaching a hand up. She carefully fixed her hat once more. The wind was threatening to lift it up off of her head. She didn’t need for her long brown locks to be revealed to the public by that point. She heard loud footsteps coming towards her. She lifted her gaze until it landed on the familiar form of Emory. Her eyes widened at the cold words that were spewed from his mouth. “I am so sorry. I did not mean to get separated from you. These men shoved me away and I tried to get back, but couldn’t find you. I figured it would be easier for me to just get my shopping done and wait here for you.” She explained gently. Her tone was shaking from the cold that she was feeling.

The grip on her hand startled her some. She hadn’t expected for him to grab it. He had always despised any form of physical touch. She had tried to place her hand on his arms a few days prior and he withdrew as though she had shocked him. “Can we please head back to the mansion? It is far too cold and wet outside to stay here. I have caught quite the chill as well.” She inquired. She was hoping that he wasn’t angry at her for not being by his side throughout the funeral. She wished that she had been able to stay by his side. It hadn’t been her intention to get shoved away. She would’ve much preferred to hear what Blaine had to say about everything.

“This is most likely a terrible time to mention it, but I am not the best when it comes to weather like this. I catch colds rather easily. I am already sneezing. I am hoping that I am just cold from the rain, but I do not want to risk anything. It also is not worth trying to push past everyone to get back to the castle.” She was rambling on nervously now. She didn’t know how Emory was going to react to this all. She could only assume that he was angry. Anger seemed to be his basic emotion. She didn’t really see him with any other type of emotion before. It would be a very nice change to see him with some joy.
 
Her rambling had for the most received no response from Emory as the man simply kept walking, holding tightly onto her hand although he wasn't going back to the direction of the castle, in fact the man was going in the opposite direction. Yet, he had slowed his steps as she had mentioned that she was prone to catching colds easily which made the man turn to face her, looking upon her in disbelief. If only he had known that, he would have never allowed her to leave and as he looked upon her she was clearly drenched from head to toe. His jaw clenched tightly as he spoke angrily, his relief quickly giving way to exasperation, "You should have told me beforehand!" It didn't really make much sense why he cared so much, after all he certainly didn't seem to care much of her actions before, nor did he seem inclined to give her any sort of visible concern.

He turned away and started walking hurriedly again, fuming now with frustration. Such a crucial detail that she had failed to tell him, especially now of all times. Emory didn't seem interested in speaking at the moment either, instead the man seemed too furious to allow himself to utter any single sentence at all. The only priority on his mind now was to get back to the carriage as soon as possible and get to the mansion so that Rose could take a warm bath and get into some dry clothes. He only hoped that he wasn't too late, after all he didn't need her to get seriously ill. Not that he knew why he cared so much at this moment, but he was too frantic to even think of the reason why. Even if he had found her, now he had another problem on his hands that he needed to quickly solve.

It didn't take him too long to reach the carriage in which without hesitation, he had opened the door for Rose to get inside, not quite caring who was watching at the moment either. Only once he was certain she was secure inside had the man approached the coach driver, his tone still rather harsh which caused the man to flinch, "I'll pay you double if you bring us back to the mansion fast. I do not need to tell you what will happen if you do not." The threat caused the man to hastily nod his head as Emory had turned away, walking back to the carriage and wordlessly setting foot inside, eventually seated in the spot he had been in before firmly closing the door to the carriage shut behind him, although now he was clearly not in a great mood, judging alone from his expression which for once seemed to be on a borderline fierce anger. The man's posture was tense as he had his arms crossed firmly across his chest, his foot tapping a nervous beat upon the carriage's floor as the carriage itself was quick to set into motion, a lot faster than it had been before.
 
Worry spread on Rose’s expression after she told the other male her unfortunate news. She had expected for him to not be happy about it. Any sane person would be quite upset over it. “I am sorry. I just did not know that the weather would be as bad as it is. It isn’t my fault that the wind is picking up more. All I wanted was to see what would be happening today.” She tried to explain. The anger that he spoke towards her had never been directed towards her in such a way before. She did not like it one bit. It reminded her far too much of her former husband. The grip on her hand was not helping either. It was hurting just as much as the grip the night before had. She did not voice her concern over that though. She knew better that to just make him angrier right now.

She could feel herself getting pulled back along there. She quickened her pace to be able to keep up, but she was almost in a light jog trying to do so. She didn’t speak anymore then. She let out another gentle sneeze as she was being hurried into the carriage. She took her hat off then, her long locks falling over her shoulders. She also slid her drenched coat off. Her shirt underneath was wet as well, but it was much worse with the coat still on. She didn’t realize how much of her figure was showing with the way that the clothes clung to her body. She also did not care. She was just hoping that she would be able to get some warmth soon enough. Being in the coverage of the carriage was helping, but she would feel better after a bath.

Her eyes were focused down on her left hand, noticing that it was red due to the tight hold that had been on it. She finally decided to try and speak again when Emory climbed into the carriage as well. “I’m sorry. I know I was a burden for you today. I did not mean to make such a mess out of things. I also did not want for you to worry about my health.” She tried to explain herself some more, though she was circling back to what she had said before. She slowly turned her gaze to look at the man sitting across from her. “You have every right to be angry at me. Please do know that I do mean my apology.” She added gently. She shifted to get more comfortable in the carriage. Despite the pace they were moving at now, she didn’t know how long it would take them to get back at the mansion. She was only hoping that it was sooner rather than later.
 
A sharp sigh had left Emory's lips as she had spoken, though he still refused to look directly at her and instead was gazing out the window, the anger that had been upon his face had slowly melted away leaving him with a somber expression. Of course, he was irritated with her for not informing her about the risk of her health, but the day's events couldn't possibly be entirely blamed upon her. Indeed, he had been acting strange and such things would never usually bother him this much. The man had closed his eyes and shook his head, his posture gradually relaxing as he finally had looked at her although forcing his eyes to remain upon her face, the honey gold of his gaze was no longer cold with his anger but instead had gentled to a more warm shade, which was certainly a first and definitely seemed to fit him more than his anger.

"There is no need to apologize to me, I was just..." He hesitated, his eyebrows furrowing as the next word slipped past his lips, "Worried... about you?" The sentence ended almost as if it were a question, like he couldn't very much believe it himself. Him being driven to panic over someone else was unheard of, although he would never admit to her just how deep such panic was, the fact that he admitted that he was worried was a shock in of itself. It just seemed to be far too uncharacteristic of a man who barely showed emotion, much less emotional attachment to other people. To admit that he was worried about Rose meant that she mattered just enough for him to care about her wellbeing. She had become an existence that he was invested in, though he was bewildered over the reason why.

"Understand that I have many enemies, and when you weren't at my side in the crowd I had... been worried." He refrained from using panic, not desiring to allow himself to show such weakness, his composure must always be in tact, no matter what. "Of course, I am angry that you had not told me sooner about your health, you certainly should have told me ahead of time. I did say I would not permit any harm to come to you while you are under my care." His tone was firm then, but his eyes shifted over to her left hand that she had been previously looking down upon which caused the man to notice that it was red from his grip. He had held on too tight had hadn't realized it. Had he been that frantic? His expression iced over then, looking back out the window as he said quietly, "That being said... I apologize for hurting your hand. I didn't realize that I had held on so tight." He seemed a bit uncomfortable as this was the most he had ever spoken to her, his usual tight-lipped responses seemed to have vanished and at least shown that he was concerned about her, although he wasn't too good at expressing it.
 
Rose was still shivering some as she sat there, trying to keep herself the warmest that she could. She carefully brought her legs up onto the seat with her. Despite her pants being soaked through as well, it did help keep her warmer. She kept her gaze on the other male though. She hadn’t seen him this angry before, not even last night. It was a bit confusing. He seemed to not care for her one bit and now he was acting as if she meant quite a bit to him. She raised an eyebrow some as the other male let out a sigh. It made her feel a bit better to see that his posture was beginning to relax some more. The warm golden eyes were the most shocking to her. His expression was the softest it had ever been. It was only then did she realize just how attractive Emory actually was. She didn’t allow herself to get flustered by it though. She blinked to shove the thoughts away.

“I still feel the need to. I know I was a bit reckless. I do appreciate your concern though.” She spoke gently. It was odd to hear such words coming from his lips. It only caused for feelings she didn’t recognize to flutter within her chest. She didn’t know why she was beginning to think of the other male in a way that she hadn’t before. It actually concerned her some. She assumed that it was just due to the time that she had spent around him. “I am hoping to not fall too ill due to this. If I do, I won’t bother you in trying to take care of me. I am sure that Viola will be able to help me.” She didn’t want for him to feel as though he would need to cater to her while she was sick. It was rather impolite to force someone to help her in that type of situation.

A smile slowly began to make its way onto her lips as she listened to him. She really couldn’t help herself any. “It wasn’t your doing. I brought this harm into myself. Besides, as I stated before, when we you ever really able to see your own funeral? It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I had to take it.” She commented. She was sure that this would cause for her to get ill. She always did get sick when she got far too chilled. “It is alright. At least both of my hands are going to have matching bruises for the time being.” She began to try and joke to lighten up the mood for the both of them then. She turned her gaze back out the window. She was truly impressed with the pace that they were moving at. “It looks like we might actually be arriving soon. I did not know a carriage could move this fast.” She spoke truthfully. Another sneeze escaped her then.

Thankfully, by the time they did get there, the rain has lightened a little bit. The wind was still whipping though. She carefully climbed out of the carriage, grabbing her jacket. There was no use in her trying to slide it on to protect her. She was already drenched from the rain. She carefully began to make her way towards the front of the mansion and then inside. She hung the coat up carefully and took the things from its pockets. She moved to place the ingredients for the tea on the dining table while she held onto the books. Her body was still shaking some due to the cold. She began to make her ways towards her room then. It would be best for her to have a warm bath and hope that nothing more would come of it.
 
Her words had caused Emory to relax slightly more, though when the conversation turned to her hand with her joking lightly on the matter, it didn't seem like the male found it humorous. The warmth had faded from his eyes as he looked at her hand once more, to even know that he had harmed her - though unintentionally - like Laurence Barker made the man angry, but such anger was directed at himself. He never desired to repeat his father's actions, in fact hating the man with such an intensity that it felt crushing at times. To think that such a joke could be made at something that he was taking quite seriously was just bizarre to him, and his expression seemed for the first time to be gloomy instead of angry. "Right.." The answer came quiet as he looked away and back out the carriage's window, seeing the rainy scenery speed by.

Almost in record time it seemed like they had arrived in the mansion, and even from his position in the carriage he spotted the faint lights within the mansion telling that Viola was indeed inside still. Of course, he allowed Rose to go into the mansion first, following her only after giving the coach driver the coin he had promised. As usual, the silence of the mansion was broken by the footsteps of Viola, although it seemed like she was upstairs no doubt being absorbed in her usual cleaning, perhaps being nearly done. Emory's gaze shifted over to Rose, his eyebrows furrowing for a moment as his gaze followed her until she began to walk to her room, though of course Emory didn't follow. By all accounts, even if this outing was relatively eventful, the man felt as if perhaps this was a mistake. His worry had not settled in his chest making him visibly wince at heavy feeling, he didn't like it. If only he had refused to allow her to go, perhaps she would not be at risk of catching a cold. And to show such panic before her, to allow himself to be lost in emotions that he'd never felt before was unacceptable.

The man's back had leaned against the mansion's door as a headache had begun to settle in yet again, although this was just only a fault of stress and nothing more. He had been acting odd the whole day, and there were no answers as to why he had been acting in such an odd manner... now was not the time though, he could feel his drenched clothes sticking to his skin and with the chill of the mansion's air it had made a shiver go through him just as he heard footsteps growing louder as Viola had looked down with wide eyes at the rather drenched Emory, "M-my lord! Oh, you're completely soaked-"

"Tend to Rose, your concern isn't necessary to be spared on me."
"But, my Lord-"
"Do it, she may catch cold, do anything you must to make sure she is fine."

The maid watched as Emory had walked up the stairs, his expression drawn with worry as he stepped past her and disappeared down the hallway leading to his own room. The sight bewildered her, but an order was an order. She would try and see if she could do anything for him later if he would allow her of course, though chances are he would not. He seemed to be in a foul mood, but not only that the worry she spotted in his expression was uncharacteristic of him. It just caught her off guard. Shaking her head, she had turned on her heel and hurried to Rose's room, stopping before the door and knocking on it, "Lady Barclay?" Of course, if Emory was completely soaked, she could only imagine how much worse Rose was. A warm bath and a warm meal should do, though if Emory was indeed as worried as she saw him to be, perhaps she could secure some thick blankets as well? They did have unused blankets that hadn't been touched since Emory's family had been well... slaughtered, and due to most of the rooms in the house now being unused, they had an excess of spare blankets that could be used for once.
 
Rose turned her head to look towards the door. She had been about to get herself undressed. The clothes were still clinging to her body and it was clear to see that she was freezing at the current moment in time. She glanced towards the bath quickly before she began to make her way to the door. She carefully opened it. She was rather surprised to find Viola standing there. She would’ve expected for her to be off tending to things around the house. “Hello Viola.” She greeted gently. She forced a light smile onto her lips. Her skin was paler than it had been earlier. She was hoping that she would just be able to warm up in the bath and act as if none of this had happened before. “I didn’t realize that the weather would be as bad as it was today. The rain was terrible and the temperatures were even worse.” She explained with a weak laugh.

She opened the door more to allow the other into the room. “I already got my bath started. I am hoping it will help. I just feel so very cold right now and I keep sneezing. I am hoping it isn’t anything too serious.” She took a few moments before she spoke again. “I have terrible luck when it comes to getting sick. I did not tell Emory that before we left. All I wanted to do was to see my funeral I barely even got a glance. These men shoved me away from him and I did get a bit lost. I bought more ingredients for tea though. I set them in the dining hall.” She was rambling out all of her thoughts once more. It was something she reverted to when she wanted to be more comfortable.

“My other hand is going to be bruised as well. Emory’s grip is much stronger than he makes it out to be. He took my hand and began to drag me off when he found me again.” She added on gently. She moved to walk into the room, her clothes dripping some as she walked. “Is there any way that I might be able to get a few extra blankets? I have a feeling that I am going to need them.” She inquired. She turned her head to glance back at the maid. She walked back to the bath then. She stuck her hand into the water. The temperature was absolutely perfect. “Could you make me some tea please?” She added with a weak smile. She moved to carefully begin to strip. She then climbed into the bath.

The warm water caused for her skin to grow red, but she did care. She needed it greatly. The change in temperature was very important. It was rather unfortunate though that the water grew colder much faster than she had been hoping for. She climbed back from the tub after no more than twenty minutes of sitting in it. Her body was still shaking as she made her way to grab a towel. She carefully dried herself off before she walked to her wardrobe. She didn’t bother trying to put anything fancy on. She knew she would want to lay down after her tea. She didn’t even bother with a corset. She slid on one of her night gowns before she combed through her hair. She then made her way back from her room. Another sneeze left her. She soon found her way into the dining hall.
 
To say the least, Viola was surprised by what she was greeted by, seeing Rose in such a poor state made her realize certainly that Emory had every reason to be worried. The maid had stepped into the room as soon as Rose had allowed her to do so, listening to her words with care as she was already thinking ahead to what she could do to alleviate any feelings of discomfort she may be feeling. Of course, hearing that Rose already was prepping a warm bath would be one thing that she didn't have to worry about, but there were still steps that she needed to take before she would be able to be certain enough that Rose would be alright. Her rambling away only served to keep Viola quiet, though a tinge of unease had settled in the woman's chest at the fact that Emory had bruised Rose's other hand. Why would he do such a thing?

Her attention snapped back immediately to focus upon Rose's words, her request being for some extra blankets and tea in which a smile had crossed the woman's face as she had bowed to her, "Of course." As Rose had turned to leave to take a bath, Viola was swift to leave the room and begin to set about the tasks that she needed to fulfill, securing the blankets was a far easier task for her to go about doing. They had been stored away within one of the spare rooms, which Viola had shifted through the large collection of blankets and eventually her hands came to grasp the thickest blankets that were available, ones that typically would be stored away for the winter months and gradually had gathered a total of two, hurriedly making her way to Rose's room and unfurling the thick blankets, spreading them out upon Rose's bed and then set about going downstairs to begin brewing tea, as well as set about cooking a warm stew. After all, Emory and Rose had been gone for awhile and she'd might as well make them something warm.. though she had her doubts that Emory would even come out of his room now, she had yet to see him and she'd rather not approach him just yet, uncertain as she was about his current state.

Soon, the maid had gathered the ingredients that Rose had went out to get, briefly marveling at them. Ingredients from the capital were far better than the cheap ones that she could secure locally, perhaps due to the capital holding the kingdom and the sheer amount of imports being pushed in from different continents. I wonder how much this had cost Lady Barclay- ah, I need to focus! Quickly, the maid had grasped all of the ingredients in her arms, moving into the kitchen where she set about brewing a fresh batch of tea.

By the time Rose had reached the dining hall, there was already a cup of hot tea awaiting her where she would usually sit, and the clatter of activity from the kitchen as well as the scent of food wafting out from it was enough to show that Viola was indeed setting about making a meal as well. It wasn't long until Viola was coming out with a bowl of stew in her hands, although not the most grandest meal - it was a warm one, and the older woman was swift to place it before Rose along with some silverware, "I hope this is to your liking, Lady Barclay." With that, Viola had settled back where she usually would stand, though the woman had cast a worried glance toward the stairway. Emory still had yet to make an appearance, though it seemed almost like he was set on avoiding them for now.
 
The slight shaking of Rose’s body as she walked was quite evident. She wished that she would have been able to hide it, but the woman already knew of her troubles from the day. There was no effort in trying to hide something that was painfully aware. She glanced around her as she got to the dining hall. She was rather surprised that Emory hadn’t come down just yet. She had expected for the other male to change and then come down for a warm beverage. Speaking of, her eyes quickly landed on the cup of tea sitting at her usual place. She slowly moved towards the table, pulling the chair out. She then took a seat. She reached forward to grab a hold of the cup.

She was about to bring it to her lips and take a sip when Viola came out of the kitchen with the stew. A gentle smile came to her face. “Thank you Viola. It smells wonderful.” She assured. She quickly dipped the tea, the warm liquid going down her throat. That heat blossomed in her chest and caused for her to relax some. She placed the cup down before she lifted her spoon. She began to gladly eat. The food was very simple, but it was incredible. It was exactly what she needed at the current moment in time. A happy hum escaped her as she continued to eat. She was hoping that this would be enough to help her feel better.

“The food is incredible. I haven’t had stew like this in years. Thank you for making it for me.” She lifted her gaze to look at the maid standing by the wall. She could see the concerned look she shot at the stairs. She slowly turned her head to look back towards them as well. “Why don’t you bring Emory some tea? I won’t be up too much longer. I am going to head to bed after I finish my tea. I truly do not feel well at all.” She confessed. Her skin was still pale and the effects of the cold were hitting her quickly. She despised that her immune system was so weak. It was one of the reasons that she had tried so many different tea blends. They normally helped her.

She focused back on the food then. She ate as much as she could until she was full. She finished her tea as well. Despite both items being warm, she still didn’t feel the best. “Thank you again Viola. Please thank Emory for me as well for the day. I do appreciate him having taken me out. Tell him if he needs me, I will be in my room.” She informed. She gave her one last small smile before she began to slowly make her way back towards she room. She already had a feeling she wouldn’t want to get up and move tomorrow morning. The night was not going to be the easiest for her. She would be lucky if she got any sleep at all.

She was surprised to see the blankets laying on her bed for her once she got back to her room. She was truly lucky that Viola was there with her that evening. She didn’t know if Emory would have done the same. She just climbed into the bed and pulled the blankets high on her. She closed her eyes in hopes of getting some sleep before things got worse.
 
Viola had bowed her head to Rose upon the woman praising her for the simple stew she had made, although the maid didn't think it was the greatest. She hoped it would be enough to help, but even as she eyed Rose as she began to consume the stew and drink some of the tea - it was quite obvious that Rose was indeed not feeling well. At her suggestion to bring some tea to Emory, the maid had hesitated at that. After all, with the foul mood that she sensed that Emory had been in, the woman was quite nervous to approach him, but that wouldn't stop her worry over him of course. Perhaps, that would indeed be for the best. "I will, Lady Barclay." As Rose soon was to leave the dining hall, it was only then that Viola had moved to gather the silverware from the table and set about the next task of tending to Emory, though part of her was still focused on Rose's condition. It didn't seem too good, she'd just have to hope that her efforts would be enough.
...
​
Emory's body rested upon his bed, having changed out his drenched clothing for fresh, and dry clothes as well as having taken a warm bath himself, the man although feeling significantly warmer than when he had walked in the mansion was in a far fouler mood than before. There was an uncomfortable feeling that had settled within his chest, a heavy emotion that all seemed to circle around Rose - though he knew it was worry. His emotions of irritation toward her for not telling him sooner of her condition to get ill easily didn't sit right with him. Yet, he reasoned to himself within his thoughts that what she'd done was perhaps out of lack of trusting him, after all who would trust the man that was supposed to kill them? It wasn't as if he needed to be privy to every bit of information about her, and she was more than welcome to have her privacy. But, at the thought of her not trusting him enough to at least be able to ensure her safety made him frustrated; which was odd.

He never intended to look upon her as if she were important. Yes, she was important enough to grab his attention just enough to possibly use her, she could easily be used as a bargaining chip against the kingdom, and not only that she certainly was useful as an inheritor to his land and the people whom lived in it. There was no point to him being worried over something as small as this. And if she happened to die, there would be no true loss for him, such was the way he had to look at things. But, there was the conflict within his chest that made him so utterly uncomfortable: his chest was hurting in such a manner that he'd not experienced before, and the very thought of allowing her to merely slip from his grasp was unfathomable, which soured his mood further as he had no idea as to why he was feeling such a way.

A headache thrummed within his skull, causing the man to close his eyes tight just as there was a knock upon his door and Viola had hesitantly opened it, "My lord?" Emory slowly had risen from his position, smelling the distinct scent of the tea that Viola had within her grasp as the maid had approached, gently placing it upon the desk that rested near Emory's bed, "Lady Barclay is now resting. She told me to thank you for taking her out today." Emory's eyes shifted over the the cup of tea, his expression blank as he didn't say anything in response causing Viola to shift nervously from foot to foot, "...My lord, are you alright? You seem... troubled." The man raised his gaze to finally meet Viola's, expression tightening which caused the maid to tense, immediately bowing her head to him as she stepped back toward the door to his room, "Ah, f-forgive me. I am just concerned, that is all."

Emory shook his head, turning away from her as he looked back to the cup of tea upon his desk, resting next the vial that he had yet to touch, "I know you are. Thank you, but your concern is not necessary." The man exhaled, a heavy sigh leaving his lips, "I have much to think about, that is all. You are dismissed, Viola." Obviously, he would not burden his maid with such insignificant things such as his jumbled emotions. He'd make sense in them in time... or at least he hoped. His answer seemed to have caused Viola to hesitate though the maid had backed away with some reluctance as she said quietly before she closed the door, "..You cannot keep shutting people out, Lord May." Before he could react, the door had closed leaving Emory in silence as he could only stare at the now closed door in a tinge of surprise. Never before had Viola dared to actually speak her mind, stunning Emory into to silence before the man's expression had gentled as he grasped hold of the cup of hot tea on his desk, staring down at the liquid as he muttered under his breath, "People cannot be trusted." But even as he reminded himself of such a fact, his heart no longer had the same resolution he normally would have which caused the man to shake his head in confusion once more.
 
Rose finally managed to doze off after a little while, but her sleep was terrible. She kept shifting in her sleep. She was unable to find a decent position to sleep in. Her fever also came overnight. Her body was covered in sweat. She kicked off the two heavier blankets that were over her. She pulled the regular comforter over her. It wasn’t too much longer until she threw that off as well. It was far too hot for her at the moment. She knew that this wasn’t good for her. She was aware that this was just the beginning. She truly was feeling terrible for not telling Emory about it all now. This could’ve been prevented if she had informed him of it sooner. She was regretting all of her actions now.

She slowly began to wake up much earlier in the morning than she normally would have. A light groan escaped her. The bags underneath her eyes were much more well defined. The green irises that were normally bright were also rather dull. She wanted to be able to take a bath to help herself some more, but she wouldn’t be able to. She knew that it would just be too hot. If she tried to take a cold bath, it wouldn’t do her any good either. A light groan escape her as she lifted a hand to rub up at her eyes. It didn’t help with anything though. She took a few deep breaths before she forced herself to fully sit up. She then carefully got herself standing.

Her first couple of steps were very wobbly. She was sure that it was too early for Viola to be at the mansion just yet. She was hoping that she might have the luck that the maid might be there. She wandered through the halls, looking around as she did so. There was no sight of the maid though. She cursed lightly under her breath. She hated to do this, but she knew that she needed to. She didn’t know exactly what was wrong with her. She just needed some type of help. She made her way carefully to Emory’s room then. She knocked lightly on the door then.

“Emory? I hate to disturb you so early in the morning, but I really feel terrible. Viola isn’t in yet and I do not know what to do.” She called out. Her voice was off. Her skin was much paler than her normal tone as well. There was still some sweat on her forehead. She was hoping that the other male would be okay with her bothering him like this in the morning. He had already been rather angry the night before. Her biggest worry was that the anger from the night before carried over. She leaned lightly against the wall, hugging herself carefully.
 
Emory, to say the least didn't sleep very well during the night despite consuming the tea Viola had given him. Due to his body being used to resting for at least three or four hours per each day, although such rest would typically be ruined by frequent nightmares, the man had been staring up at his ceiling in the midst of his half-awake state, drifting in and out of consciousness as the worry that had burrowed deep in his chest would not leave him be. He knew not how long time had passed, until he heard a knocking at his door causing the man to turn his head to it, half expecting Viola to walk in. That was until his attention had turned to the singular window within his room, seeing the faint light of dawn beginning to stream in. It would be far too early for Viola to come.

It wasn't too long after this fact had registered within his mind that a weak voice called out from the other side of the door, one that he recognized immediately. Rose. Emory shot up to his feet, the worry which had settled within his chest surging through him as he crossed the distance from his bed to his door, though he wasn't prepared to see how much worse Rose had gotten just from the day before. As his gaze had settled upon her as soon as he'd opened his door, automatically he had taken notice for the sweat upon her forehead, her paler skin and the dullness in her eyes. Her leaning against the wall was enough to tell him of weakness perhaps, which made a flood of irritation go through him. Why didn't she stay within her bed? Reason quickly dictated to him that it was to get help, and truth be told, Emory felt completely and utterly lost in this sort of situation.

The man rarely got sick himself, the only time being as a result of too much of a substance he had ingested as a child, but never had he'd gotten a fever or experienced illness - which was lucky on its own, but could perhaps be a result of his immune system being so strong after living ten years of his early childhood life in less than sanitary conditions. It wasn't as if he knew any remedies off the top of his head, for Viola typically would be the one to know what do to, but the maid unfortunately wouldn't arrive for a few more hours which left Emory in a situation that he had no clue how to deal with. His expression tightened slightly, I can't just stand here and do nothing. Damn it. Cursing his turn of bad luck, the man had stepped forward and without a word had placed a hand upon her sweaty forehead, though he was quick to move his hand away upon realizing that her skin was hot to the touch. A fever, just what they needed.

More worry had wormed its way into Emory's heart. He supposed he could go get the nearby village's doctor to come and take a look at Rose, but that would take too much time to prepare to leave and ride all the way back. Time that he was certain he didn't have, and since she was burning up, he needed to do something quick. "You should've stayed in bed if you were this bad." His tone was heavy with disapproval, but nonetheless there was concern there as he stepped closer to her and with a swift movement and with relative ease, he had swept Rose up in his arms and began walking back to her room, being as gentle with her as possible. His mind on the other hand was racing with what he could possibly do to help ease her discomfort until Viola inevitably came. The sweat was definitely an issue, wiping it away would perhaps allow her some sense of relief, though he wasn't sure if he could even think of any medicinal remedies that he could give her to help break the fever which made him irritated that Viola was not there again. Nonetheless, Emory did not seem too bothered by Rose coming to get him, as his face betrayed none of the thoughts brewing within his head as he finally reached her room and placed her gently upon the bed, though having noticed the heavy blankets that she had were thrown off, perhaps due to her feeling too hot due to the fever.

Wordlessly, Emory had turned to leave and disappeared from sight. It almost seemed like the man simply had abandoned Rose to suffer alone in her room, but it wouldn't be too long until the man came back with a cloth in his hands and a bowl he had secured from the kitchen that was filled with water. He had set down the bowl of water upon the nearby desk, dipping the cloth within, only to wring it out and turned back to Rose, lightly brushing the cloth over her forehead and wiping the sweat off with being as gentle as possible. Of course, Emory intended to wipe as much sweat off from her as possible as he truly was out of his depth. The only thing he knew how to treat were injuries, for he received countless as a lord and even prior to that. Illnesses completely were out of his comfort zone of treating, but he seemed willing enough to try.
 
Rose didn’t bother trying to push herself back into a standing position. It was far much easier to just lean against the wall. She didn’t realize just how weak she was until she stood and made her way to the room. She was really hoping that the other male would not mind helping her. If Viola had been here, she would’ve just asked her for help. She was hoping that it wouldn’t be too much longer until she ended up at the mansion. She just didn’t want to bother Emory too much. She felt as if she had already annoyed him quite a bit the day before. This might just make things so much worse.

She lifted her gaze towards the door fully when she heard it begin to open. She was actually a little surprised to see the other male standing there in front of her. She really expected for him to just tell her to go back to bed. “I’m sorry Emory. I did not know where else to go or what to do. I would not have bothered you if Viola was here.” She tried to explain. She was hoping that he might know of something that could help her in a way. She blinked as she watched his hand lift to her forehead. She was aware that her skin was rather hot. She bit lightly on her bottom lip then. She didn’t know what else to say at the current moment.

The worry that the other male was feeling was something that she could actually see very easily. She had never seen him this way before. It was a decent change for her. “I felt too sick to just lay there. Usually I would have had someone around to help me when I was sick. Again, I am sorry for bothering you.” She confessed. She didn’t know why she was apologizing so much. She just felt terrible for bothering him this early in the morning. She didn’t know that he hadn’t been keeping though. A soft sound escaped her lips. She hadn’t expected to be lifted at all. She relaxed into his arms though. There was no need in trying to keep her body tense. She was grateful that she didn’t weigh that much. She rested her head lightly on his shoulder as she was carried off.

Her eyes fell partly shut as she was placed down on the bed. She didn’t shift to get comfortable. She really was feeling terrible at the current moment in time. It was getting worse as time continued to go on. She could hear the other male walking from the room. She wouldn’t have been surprised if Emory decided to just leave her in the room. It wasn’t his job to worry or care for her. She opened her eyes fully when she felt the cool cloth being pressed lightly on her forehead. “Thank you so much Emory.” She mumbled. She didn’t know what she would need for her fever to break, but this was going to help. At least, she hoped it would.
 
(Sorry for not responding for so long, haven't been feeling well)

Emory's touch remained gentle as he dutifully wiped as much sweat as he could from her forehead and face, though her thanking him once again made the man a bit bewildered as to why she was even thanking him. He was sure what he was doing was not enough to help her, as he knew nothing about medicine. "You shouldn't be thanking me." His automatic reply was gruff as usual, as he had pulled the cloth back from her forehead, though now facing the uncomfortable task of removing the rest of the sweat upon her body. Typically, this would be a task for Viola, considering she was a woman herself. Emory was a grown man, and Rose was more or less a guest within his home. Although, he was certain of his own good intentions, there was a limit and a line he certainly could not cross.

His expression tightened however, reasoning in his mind that if he did nothing to help her, that alone would perhaps make her condition worse. And he was certain that being sweaty was not comfortable, especially considering how weak she was, he could not move her to the bath to possibly take care of such a situation on her own. So, the only solution was to perhaps attempt to ask if she was fine with him continuing to clean away the sweat from her body. If not, he would oblige and leave her be. After all, he needed to remain as distant with her as possible, this was not his duty after all. And yet, the situation in of itself felt incredibly uncomfortable, with Emory hesitating to even ask such a question, though eventually forcing himself to take in a breath to force himself remain composed.

"Do you need me to continue wiping away the sweat?" His tone was calm, certainly a lot calmer than when she had first appeared before his door, and he was looking upon her face expectantly with the cloth in his hand. Though, perhaps he should have certainly thought this through a bit more, considering she did have a fever... perhaps his actions wouldn't be appreciated later on? Or a boundary maybe was he crossing a boundary with her that he shouldn't? Nonetheless, he was prioritizing her health first before any discomfort he may have with the current situation, as he did have more than enough contact with her now than he was usually comfortable with.
 
it’s okay! i hope you are feeling better! <3))

Rose clearly appreciated the gentle touches that the other male used. She had been concerned that he was going to be a bit rough. She also originally thought that he wouldn’t have wanted to help her with any of this. She had been prepared to suffer through this by herself until Viola arrived later in the morning. It was one of the reasons as to why she was thanking the other male so much. “I am going to continue to thank you no matter what. You might as well learn to accept it by now.” She murmured. She offered him a weak smile. She didn’t bother trying to hide the discomfort that she was currently feeling. She was positive that it was very obvious to the other male. With the way that her skin was sweating and how pale it was, it was very easy to see how she was feeling.

She stayed quiet and still then, deciding to just allow the other male to work in peace. She blinked in some surprise as she heard his words. She had expected for the other male to just assume that he could do what he pleased. That was what her former husband had done. The more that she thought on it, the more she realized just how different everything was for her being here with him. He was a kind person, despite the wall he kept up while he was around other’s. She had seen glimpses of it lately. It was quite wonderful, in her opinion. He was a very intriguing person, after all. She was only hoping that he wouldn’t become cold towards her once again.

“Please. I do not mind if you have to remove my gown. I have been through worse Emory. I do not mind if you wipe it off if my body.” She assured. There were certain things that had happened with her former husband that were less than pleasant. She wouldn’t talk more on it unless the other male asked to learn more. She tried to avoid talking about her traumas in that relation. She shifted carefully in the bed, a soft groan escaping her. She was beginning to feel worse as time continued to go on. “If you do not feel as though you are able to, I can try to do it myself.” She tried to assure him some. She doubted that it would any though. She just didn’t want for him to be uncomfortable around her.
 
(Thank you c: )

Emory had to hold back an audible sigh of exasperation at her insisting to thank him, though with how stubborn she was being about that, he supposed he had no choice but to accept it. Although, he supposed it wasn't unpleasant being thanked by her, but it was still quite odd nonetheless, something that was out of his comfort zone. But then again, tending to Rose personally was far out of his comfort zone in terms of physical contact with women. A frown had crossed his face for only a moment at her weak smile, this alone causing another pang of worry beginning to settle within his heart. Seeing her so weak and frail made an odd sensation settle within him, and he didn't much like it. It was making him feel on edge, a sensation that he couldn't quite understand properly, and he wasn't going to allow himself to ponder such a sensation for much longer either.

Instead, he focused on her answer which he was a tiny bit surprised to say the least. But, he supposed she was certainly feeling awful if she felt comfortable enough for him to assist her, but it was not lost upon him when she said she had been through worse, referencing no doubt to her relationship with Blaine. He was swift to brush aside the matter, not desiring to linger upon such things when her health was the priority. He had tensed as she had suddenly shifted, immediately putting the bowl of water and cloth aside for a moment to help her get in a more comfortable position. If she is this weak, I'm probably going to have to move her myself. A frown now had claimed a permanent place upon his face as he shook his head at her, clearly not going to allow her to do this on her own since it seemed obvious to him that she couldn't. He was simply have to place his phobia aside for now, "You need to preserve your strength. Don't move."

With that said, Emory had moved his hands, gently beginning to undo the gown covering her, although not undoing it completely, allowing her to have some semblance of modesty for her sake as well as his own. He was no stranger to a woman's body, the sight would not be new to his eyes, however uneasiness had settled within him regardless although he was quick to chase the foul memories beginning to rise within his mind again and focus instead on the task of continuing to wipe away the sweat from her body. His touch remained as gentle as possible as he had placed the wet cloth against her neck, carefully wiping away the sweat that had collected there and had continued being as careful with her as possible. But, despite how calm he was acting and how gentle he was being, his hands were trembling, and his expression was tense with discomfort. Every bit of contact he had with her skin, he would hesitate before forcing himself to continue, eventually reaching the point where he had to remove her gown in full in which he once again hesitated before going through with the action.

He refused to allow himself to look upon her in a perverse manner, and instead continued the task placed before him, gently applying the cool cloth to wherever sweat appeared upon her body. Emory made sure he was thorough, eventually gently turning her over on her stomach and continuing to gently wipe away the sweat upon her back. His large, calloused hands still remained as gentle as humanly possible with her, although at this point in time, the trembling was far more obvious than before despite how much he wanted to ignore it. The amount of relief that washed over him as soon as he was done had made his hands immediately recoil from her body, although now eyeing the gown that she had been in. No doubt, she needed to be dressed in a new one, for the old one was perhaps soiled with the amount of sweating she had to go through. The man had then stood from his spot, wordlessly beginning to search through the wardrobe provided to her in advance and had secured a replacement nightgown, now approaching her bedside, "I'm going to have to move you again, can you hold on to me?"

Considering how weak Rose was, he didn't want to move her far too much, but he did need her to sit up so that he may clothe her again. Such a task would be easier if she would hold onto him for support to stay upright while he assisted her with this task, and in fact Emory had crouched down so that she may hold onto his shoulders for support, one arm gently propped against her back to help her begin to sit up, although this would perhaps be the closest he would dare be near to Rose out of his own choice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 4 (members: 0, guests: 4)

Similar threads

Lumpkinz11
Fandom Hogwarts 1x1 RP w/ EmilySmith
Replies
10
Views
84
EmilySmith
EmilySmith
heartstringss
Realistic or Modern don't be afraid, i'm here with you. | heartstringss & malaschino.
fxf ghosts horror
Replies
0
Views
132
heartstringss
heartstringss
Bunball
Realistic or Modern [F4M] Hayley Williams/Taylor York Roleplay (Celebrity Prompt)
celeb celebrities celebrity
Replies
0
Views
29
Bunball
Bunball
Lumpkinz11
Fandom Rocky Horror 1x1 RP w/ AlmostImmortal
Replies
10
Views
58
Lumpkinz11
Lumpkinz11
Lumpkinz11
Fandom Rocky Horror 1x1 w/ ClownSauce
Replies
3
Views
45
Lumpkinz11
Lumpkinz11
Back
Top