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Realistic or Modern Night’s Embrace | Private |

Viola had remained within the mansion during the day, though she had refrained from preparing any food due to Emory being absent from the mansion and Rose being within her room. The only exception is when she had briefly stepped outside to tend to Emory's request in sending Mathias out, though the interaction itself seemed tense with Mathias begrudgingly accepting the task. All that was left was to wait, but even waiting was causing Viola to be on edge. The silence that settled was oppressing, and heavy. It felt uncomfortable, and even as she settled upon finally beginning to do her usual cleaning of the manor, she couldn't help but feel as if the mood that had been left behind was far too gloomy. What in the world is going on?

This wouldn't be answered for quite some hours, as the maid now had completed her duties by the time the sun was beginning to set in the sky. Casting worried glances outside of the windows that shed some light within the manor, she was watching for Emory's eventual return... though it seemed as if the young lord's duties, whatever the Black Market seemed to require of him that day was taking far longer than she would expect. The man had left quite earlier on in the day, truly at the beginning of the morning, so she would assume that he would be back before nightfall, wouldn't he? His warning still rang clear in her ears, to not get involved... but how could she simply ignore him when he seemed so distressed prior to leaving? Part of her, the more concerned part that was trying to override her caution felt tempted to try and find the man to bring him back to the estate... but could she truly do such a thing? No, she couldn't.

Her shoulder's drooped in response, lowering her eyes to the floor beneath her. What use was she if she couldn't do anything for the man now? Perhaps she was just as much as a coward as she had been all those years ago. But, the thought of what could possibly lay in the Black Market frightened her, and it wasn't as if Emory's sentries would allow her to go in... not that she even knew how to reach the entrance or even where it was located. Before the woman could bring her to think too much on the matter, the sound of something hitting the floor had caused her to nearly jump out of her skin, her heart nearly stopping in her chest as she turned on her heel, eyes wide. "Lady Barclay?" She called out immediately, considering the sound came from the young woman's room. There was no response to her call, causing the maid to hurry toward the bottom of the stairway, though it seemed as if it were unnecessary for her to rush due to Rose beginning to already walking down the stairs, "Lady Barclay... are you.." Her voice trailed off, knowing full well that she wasn't alright.

The maid's lips pursed as she lowered her gaze, ending the unnecessary question before she would finish it. After all, when Rose had returned from Freycrest on her own, Viola knew she suffered from nightmares. "..I'll prepare some tea for you, please sit down for awhile." Her tone was heavy with her concern, but it was obvious from the maid's expression that something was wrong. The woman couldn't hide her facial expressions well, being quite the open book, a sheer contrast from Emory who was nowhere to be seen.
 
Rose’s steps paused on the stair she was on once she heard Viola’s voice. She hadn’t originally heard the call of her name when she hit the floor in her room nor did she know how long she had stayed laying on the floor after she had. The pain was still radiating from the back of her head and she considered herself rather lucky to not have accidentally slammed it on the corner of her beside table during her fall. Her elbow on the other hand hadn’t fared as well. The spot that she did hit on the corner was bruising more with each passing moment, her delicate pale skin beginning to turn purple from the collision. The cut adorning the inside of it wasn’t bleeding all that much and she knew it was something that she would be able to handle. That all combining with the aching in her muscles from before was beginning to be a bit too much for her to handle.

It wasn’t as if she would allow for the pain she was feeling to show as it was something that she had gotten quite good at while being with Blaine. The thought of the man only brought the dream back to the forefront of her mind, causing her to shiver slightly. She believed that it was just the stress of everything that was happening that was finally getting to her. There were only so many factors she could handle for such a long time without bursting. Realizing she would see him again at the ball had only added to it. She blinked as her eyes settled on Viola. “Oh, I am alright. I-I just rolled out of my bed in my sleep.” She explained quietly, voice stuttering some as she got the words out. Her nightmares usually didn’t fluster her nearly as much as this one had. She hoped the maid wouldn’t push on the matter anymore. She didn’t know if she would be able to talk about what her mind wanted to torment with.

She slowly continued to make her way down the stairs until she reached the bottom, pausing once more at the assurance to sit while she prepared some tea. She took in a gentle breath, glancing behind her towards Emory’s office. She assumed that he must’ve either been caught up in the paperwork he had or he was summoned away. “Thank you Viola. That is quite kind of you.” She confessed as she moved to follow after her. She didn’t notice the way in which her expression had twisted and she knew that something must’ve happened. Debating on if the time would be right to ask, she decided it would be better than nothing at that moment. “What’s wrong Viola? Did something happen while I was asleep?” Alarm was clear in her tone judging by the extent of worry etched into her expression.

Her steps sped up slightly to catch up to her before she took her usual seat in the kitchen while Viola moved to make the tea. The process of her sitting was a bit slower due to the aching in muscles, her movement careful to not agitate what she had done. She turned her arm carefully to look at her elbow, flinching when she saw what she had done to it. She was always one who managed to bruise out of the slightest of touches. It was one of the many reasons Blaine hid her away once his abuse started. He didn’t want for anyone to see what all she had to experience. “Did Emory fall ill again? I was hoping he might be alright until we got to the ball. I think there might be a way to help him once we get there.” She confessed, mind rambling off with the idea of the mages from Avrune doing so. Her voice was nowhere near as bright and happy as it normally was. She almost seemed miserable herself, though that could be blamed on the fact that she couldn’t mask her exhaustion like she had before.
 
Viola's eyebrows knitted together as Rose had responded with she had rolled out of bed while she had been sleeping, though the woman would not push and instead let it be. Spotting from the corner of her eye that Rose had looked to Emory's office, the maid couldn't help but do so as well, a sinking feeling settling in her stomach regarding the two. If it wasn't one, it was the other... or it seemed like both of them were in dire straits. "It's the least I could do, Lady Barclay." Her response was quiet, almost somber. A feeling of uselessness was beginning the settle on the woman, knowing not what she could do to assist further, but offering small comforts was all she could do, and it would simply have to suffice for now.

However, when alarm began to sink into Rose's tone, Viola mentally cursed herself for her all too visible expressions, "N-not exactly." She stammered over the words, the maid retreating into the kitchen to begin to prepare the tea, though her own mind was repeating Emory's all too harsh command within her head: "Don't get involved." The maid bit her lip as she then focused on preparing the tea for Rose, trying to think of a way to properly begin to break whatever little information she had. She couldn't just keep quiet when she saw how unnatural the man had been acting prior to leaving, even if his expression shown nothing, his tone and body language shown too much. Something was terribly wrong, she just knew it... but he had told her to not get herself involved in whatever was happening, could she really stay silent? This conflict raged upon her face as she didn't seem to respond immediately, waiting until the tea was ready, only then after securing a cup had she poured the tea within and carried the now hot cup on a small saucer out to Rose, the clink of glass seeming unnaturally loud as Rose's words pierced through the silence.

Viola's eyes shifted to look at the younger woman, a frown as clear as day upon her face as she could see the exhaustion written plainly upon her face. Should she really say anything? With a sigh, the woman shook her head as she mumbled under her breath, "You two truly are going to be the death of me." The maid couldn't bring herself to smile, worry written plain upon her features as she didn't seem comfortable, almost scarily akin to when Rose had first arrived at the manor and questioned her on anything regarding Emory. "Well... no. He didn't seem ill earlier." It seemed like Viola was saying the truth, the woman stepping back though her eyes took notice of the flash of a bruise upon Rose, her frown deepening. She would not speak on that just yet, but it was clear that Rose would not be leaving her sights anytime soon until the maid could tend to the injury.

"Lord May went to the Black Market again today." She lowered her gaze to the floor, as she added in a hesitant tone, "...His.. hands were shaking, and he didn't seem like himself... he told me not to get involved, and I-I.." Viola didn't know the specifics of where he was going, but the man never had expressed the explicit need for her to not get involved before, since it just seemed like an unspoken rule between the two. "I'm... probably worrying over nothing." She shook her head, trying to dislodge the concern beginning to rise within her. But, Emory never before had went to the Black Market with any body language depicting fear; it usually was his composed coldness or even irritation if something annoyed him, but it was never fear. "He left quite early in the day, and he hasn't returned yet. I wonder what is keeping him there for so long..."

Realizing she was beginning to delve too deep in her own worries, the maid's eyes settled once more on the bruise that she had spotted earlier on Rose, "...I do hope you realize I won't let you out of my sight until I attend to you." It was a very weak attempt at trying to lighten the mood after expressing what she had to the young woman, but she couldn't help it. This was an attempt at trying to make things normal, or rather as normal as she could.
 
Relief began to fill her chest at the reassurance that Emory hadn’t fallen ill once more. It was the simplest of comforts that she could be given, truly. It seemed as though Emory was occupying almost every thought she had as of late. With all that had been happening, her concern for the young lord was beginning to reach a breaking point. If she had known the true reason as to why he had gone off to the Black Market, it would’ve pushed her over the edge of the invisible cliff she was on. She could tell that the other woman had more to say by the way her expression was tightening, though she hadn’t a clue as to what would be next. She tilted her head slightly as she leaned carefully back in the chair she sat in. She could feel the bundle of anxiety beginning to form in her chest once more. No matter how hard she tried to push it away, she couldn’t. It kept growing and growing as she waited for Viola to continue.

She immediately sat up straighter at her words, her heart plummeting in her chest. It was very uncommon for Emory to ever show any signs of nerves, especially in regards to his visits to the Black Market. She knew that he was able to shove aside his emotions whenever he needed to in order to accomplish what was required of him during his visits. Her eyebrows pinched together as she debated on whether to act on her immediate instinct to rush there. She knew his sentries would do everything in their power to stop her from getting to the market itself, but she wouldn’t care. She could try her damndest to ensure that he was alright, that he was still alive. If something had happened to him… Well, she didn’t know what she would do. He had become her anchor during this all and she had no intentions of losing him anytime soon to avoidable circumstances.

“Something’s wrong.” Her response was no more than a hushed breath, but the sinking out in her stomach didn’t stop growing. She truly did believe her own words, knowing that something must’ve happened. “I know you must be thinking it as well. If he hasn’t returned yet, something is wrong. He never goes during the day.” She remarked as she stood once more, using the table the chair was next to in order to balance herself. A wave of dizziness overcame her, but she pushed it off. The feeling of Emory leaving and not returning was one that she was all too familiar with. It was one that she hoped to never experience again. The concern merged with panic that was slowly filling her, finding it harder to breath the longer she stood there. Her eyes widened slightly, but she refused to look at Viola. She didn’t want for her to see just how much her emotions were beginning to get a grip on her.

And so, in that moment, she decided to go with her initial instinct. She hadn’t ever truly visited the Black Market despite the dealings she handled in it. Emory and his sentries had taken great care in ensuring that she stayed as far away from it as possible, though she decided now was the time that she needed to finally make her first appearance there. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath as she managed to gather herself enough to speak then. “Do not worry about tending to me now. I will be back. Leave the tea for later and go home to spend some time with your family.” She spoke softly as she took a few steps towards the woman. “I will see you tomorrow morning.” She added with a weak attempt at a smile. She had a feeling Viola would be chasing after her, yelling at her for what she planned on doing but she didn’t care. Emory had done similar things for her time and time again.

She turned and then made her way from the kitchen with long strides, her head beginning to pound as she got to the closet near the front door. She pulled on an overcoat that she had stashed there and a cloak. She covered her head with the hood and then stepped from the mansion. The cool evening air hit her immediately, a soft breath leaving her lips. She could see the cloud from it pooling in front of her face as she followed the familiar path towards the stables. She doubted that Emory had taken anything other than a carriage, so she knew Echo would be there waiting. She tried to keep her steps brisk as she walked through the dark field. The night sounds surrounded her, crickets chirping while the gentle rustling of the tall grass complimented them. A soft breeze accompanied the chill in the air, though she knew what she had grabbed would keep her warm enough. The sun was almost completely set on the horizon then, but it was enough to give her the light she needed.
 
Alarm immediately filled Viola from head to toe at Rose's response, "Y-yes but.." She knew Rose was right that something was very, very wrong. But, it seemed like her alarm was soon warranted due to Rose getting up and suddenly claiming she was going to go off to the Black Market. "L-Lady Barclay! No, you mustn't!" Her voice raised a few pitches in her shock and horror, "You mustn't go!" Rose's smile did little to soothe the strong sense of worry beginning to rage out of control in the maid's chest, but she knew her words were just going to fall on deaf ears again. It seemed like she could never break through either Emory's nor Rose's stubbornness, and in situations like these where it was risky to go to a location, she wished that both of them would heed her words rather than rush off to who knows where. The sheer amount of worry upon the woman's face didn't falter and only intensified as she spoke, "D-do you even know where you're going? You can't just rush into the Black Market on your own!"

However, despite trying to speak words of reason, it seemed to have no obvious effect. Rose already had strode away from her, eventually leaving the maid standing in silence within an all too empty mansion. She knew it would be pointless to run after Rose, but tears began to sting at her eyes as she whispered, "Azeya, please... keep them safe." A weak prayer, but once again Viola found herself truly at her wit's end. She couldn't do anything to protect the two, and after everything seemed to be settling down, something else always seemed to replace it. "..Please.. be safe."
...​
Sentries posted within Dusk's Respite were settled around the entryway to the Black Market, situated behind Leofstan's former shop, though now the shop was left barren of most of anything since the sentry's death. Of course, they were given the distinct order from Emory to not follow him and to not allow anyone to pass, albeit from observations from sentries situated within the Black Market, there was an unusual surge of activity to Laurence Barker's brothel; Phildia's Touch. Many noblemen and women had seemed to be flooding in that day, although finding the occasional one here and there wasn't uncalled for, the volume of them was far too suspicious for them to ignore, especially due to the Caxaton family's carriage suddenly showing up and barging down the pathway. However, no sentry would dare go against Lord May's orders, but questions were beginning to be passed around from sentry to sentry as the early morning was fading into late night. Where was Emory May? The man hadn't been transported anywhere else, he didn't have any pressing issues to tend to within the Black Market either. There was no assassination requests from clientele, and there wasn't even anyone desiring to meet him to renegotiate plans regarding imports and exports. It simply was like he just... vanished.

The longer he remained gone, the more antsy the sentries posted outside of the entryway into the Black Market had gotten. Though they were tending to the horses attached to the carriage Emory had used to get there in the first place, it did little to calm their nerves. One of which had sighed, looking toward the other man that had settled in after taking Mathias's spot for the day, "When do you think Lord May will be back? He's been gone for an awful long time." The other man shrugged his shoulders, a serious expression settled upon his face, "No clue. I'm sure he'll come back out when he's ready." A huff left the other sentry as he grumbled, "That doesn't really inspire confidence, you know?"
...​
"Damn it, he's getting tired again. I knew I should've shown up earlier... Hey! Laurence! Give him some more of that stuff!"
"Hah... I suppose I shouldn't expect anything else from a whore's son. Keep going, I didn't tell you to stop."
"This is priceless! Is this the fearsome Emory May?! I'm going to enjoy this!"
"Mmn... you really are as good as Maridel, don't worry I'll keep this brief. I don't really like going after everyone else. Used goods are quite disgusting, don't you agree?"
"What do you mean 'too big'? Suck it up, you're a grown man, aren't you?"
"Ew, look! He's actually enjoying this isn't he? But, I have to admit his face doesn't look too bad like this..."
"Don't turn your head away... stupid bastard.."

The disjointed sentences from both men and women alike seemed so far away in the man's head, golden eyes staring blankly up at a hauntingly familiar ceiling, a foul, salty taste on his tongue, accompanied by a distinct soreness within his jaws. He'd not done this for so long... he'd hoped he wouldn't have to again. Ah.. it hurts. His naked body didn't want to move anymore, the pain wracking through him causing tingles of now painful pleasure that was beginning to become overbearing. Emory's lips parted as he sucked in a breath, struggling to try to say anything to make it stop, but his lips felt numb and unresponsive, kiss-bruised and torn from patron's biting teeth. He could taste a bit of blood mingling with the disgusting taste on his tongue, making the man desire to vomit. His stomach felt awful, full from human fluid, and his body... it felt sticky, wracked with unbearable pain and coated with fluid and tinges of blood. Fresh wounds had split across his stomach and chest, accompanied by blooming bruises already fully formed across his skin.

Emory could feel someone approach, prompting the man to turn his eyes to settle on the shape that was approaching, only for dread to settle within him. A cheerful voice rang from behind him amidst the room reeking of perfume to block out the dank smells of the private room settled away just for him and his "customers", "Oh, how nice of you to finally show up, Duke Caxaton! I wasn't lying to you, now was I?" Emory's lips parted, trying to speak, "..o... n..o.." He tried to move his fingers, his toes, anything to try to have feeling within his limbs. There was none. The pull of the drug flowing through his body, already administered to him far too much than what should be given to any human being, the cold kiss of steel around his neck reminding him all too much that he couldn't rely on his unwanted gift of mana to save him. The expression on the older man's face was one that chilled him to the bone, a glint of rage mingling within the lust as the man's hands grabbed hold of the steel collar around Emory's neck, the man's limp body being unable to muster any resistance as the man slammed him abruptly back onto the hard wooden floor, the collision of his head against the floor itself causing pain to flare, a pitiful grunt leaving Emory's lips at the harsh blow.

"Tsk, tsk. You don't have to be so rough! After all it's been years since you've saw him last! Don't tell me.. you're still mad about your eye?" Eunice's voice taunted as it grew closer, prompting Valentine's head to tilt upward to look at the woman who now was smiling sweetly down at Emory, the soft sound of Caxaton's voice echoing in Emory's ears, "I'm sorry... I usually am able to control myself. But, should I really be gentle with garbage?" Emory almost wanted to laugh at the irony, a strangled sound leaving his lips causing the man above him to scowl in response, the rage beginning to overtake the man's visible eye as Eunice had shook her head, "I did promise him he can see his little princess when he's done. So yes, refrain him killing him, yes? But, before that, it seems like Emory is beginning to become too alert again. Let me fix that before you get started, I'm sure you want him as docile as possible. No need to repeat that little mistake before."

No! That one thought settled in Emory's muddled mind as Eunice crouched beside him, barely seeing the glint of a fresh vial, one that he'd seen far too many times that day. Tears began to swell within his eyes as he struggled to speak, "...no...m..more.." He was going to vomit, he couldn't take much more than this. Eunice paused, though a cruel glint came to her eyes as she laughed, "Must I remind you, who are you doing this for, hm?" Emory's eyes dimmed, his lips struggling to form a word, "..R.." His throat strained, the tears that had been forming within his eyes eventually spilled over, the warm tears trickling down the sides of his face. He was... disgusting wasn't he? "...R...Rose.." Her name came out like a plea, reminding himself what this was all for. She needed to remain alive. Eunice tilted her head at his answer, a dissatisfied expression briefly touching the cruelty written clearly upon her face, only for her to tip the vial to her lips, the sweet liquid disappearing only for the soft press of her lips to come down on his own, prompting the man's eyes to widen as disgust coiled up within him. The liquid, mingled with her saliva was forced down his throat, prompting to man to struggle, though the only struggle he could put up was pitiful grunts that dissolved into broken moans as a wave of pleasure filled him from head to toe, his mind beginning to sink into emptiness as his eyelids half closed, his muscles fully relaxing as he felt Caxaton's hands upon his legs, beginning to be dragged back across the wooden floor.

"There. That's a good boy... enjoy yourself, try not to be too rough." Eunice's mocking voice echoed in room as Emory's mind truly felt itself breaking underneath the effects of false pleasure, no longer being able to hear distinctly Valentine's response. ...It.. feels... s-so... The unfinished sentence vanished in his mind, dissolving into faint sensations, his voice straining from overuse that day, the pain flaring in his throat making his drug-induced moans more so broken and weak. All he had to do was endure a little longer, surely then he would be able to go home... right? But he couldn't truly begin to think anymore, his mind struggling to shield himself from this reality. The heavy weight of another body above him being nothing more than a faded sensation too as he truly was beginning to sink deep, unable to think, unable to move. Just endure.
 
The pace of Rose’s steps quickened at the sight of the stables, ignoring the growing pain that was filling her body. She quickly opened the door wide once she was finally to it, moving around to grab the saddle. It took her a few tries to tug it from its place on the wall, but she did manage to finally get it down. Her shoulders ached in protest as she lugged it over to where Echo stood. She could hear the gentle whines the horse made and knew he would enjoy the ride they were to take. She had every intention on getting there as quickly as possible, no matter who tried to stop her. She didn’t have a doubt in her mind that his sentries would do everything in their power to retain her at the entrance to the market. She shook her head lightly at the thought, knowing she would have to sort a plan out on the ride there. What she was doing was reckless and rather stupid, but it would have to do.

She carefully slid the saddle onto the horses back and secured the latches where they needed to be. She turned her head to look at her surroundings in hopes of finding something she could use to defend herself with if the time came. Her one day of blade-training did little to inspire confidence in herself, but she would rather have something that nothing. She took a few steps deeper into the stables until the faint gleaming of metal caught her eye. Her hands reached towards it and grasped the hilt. The blade clearly had been weather with time, but it was better than nothing. It was heavy in her hands, much heavier than what she was used to. She knew it would have to do. She carefully attached the belt holding the sheath to her waist, the blade close to dragging on the ground due to the weight. A light frown quickly crossed her lips. She scanned the area surrounding her until she noticed the old wooden bow hanging on the wall near where she found the blade.

Some relief flooded through her at the sight. She gripped it and carefully lifted it from its positioning. It was a bit bigger than the one she used to use, designed for the male soldiers that Emory used to have. She slid the bow carefully across her back, the string tight against her chest. She grabbed the bag of arrow beside it and did the same. Pleased with the weapons, she partly wobbled over to Echo. The weight of the weapons put her tremendously off balance, but it was something she could work with. She climbed onto the saddle and adjusted her grip on the reins. With a sharp yank, Echo went galloping off towards Dusk’s Respite. The breeze rustled through her hair, any remaining sunlight finally disappearing from the sky. Stars glistened brightly above her. It was something she normally would’ve stopped to enjoy, but her mind was focused on finding Emory. She couldn’t beat the thought of losing him again.

She was grateful that she had walked the path many times into town as even in the dark she was able to find her way. The paths were quiet as she finally arrived, slowly Echo down to a gentle gallop. There were a few times she had to hand deliver envelopes to the sentries for them to then take them to the patrons in the Black Market. She knew where the entrance was. Her biggest issue would be then getting in. Her mind had continuously drawn a blank in regards to what she could say to get them to let her pass. She was aware of their fierce loyalty to Emory and knew they wouldn’t break it. She hoped they might be willing to bend slightly in order to save their lord from any danger he might find himself in. She pulled the reins to get Echo to stop once she arrived at the back of Leofstan’s former shop. A part of her wished that the man hadn’t been murdered as it would make her life much easier in that moment.

The hood had fallen from her head during the ride, breath heavy as she gazed down at the sentries standing guard to the entrance. “I am aware he has told you to do everything in your power to protect me and to ensure no harm comes my way. I am also aware that you know I will do everything within my power to help him when he needs it.” Her words were shaking slightly, but her tone was as firm as she could get it. Her expression had turned cold, mimicking the one her father commonly war. It was enough to send shivers down the spine of any common person or nobleman that looked at the royal family wrong. Her father taught her it from a young age in order to help her avoid being taken advantage by anyone while living at the castle. “You know as well as I that something is wrong. He received a strange letter this morning to his desk that no one hand delivered and he never comes here during the day.” She continued, grip tightening on the reins.

“I shall give you two options. You can either come along with me while I go help him wherever he may be or you can try and stop me from passing. Either way I will not hesitate to trample you down with Echo. Surely Emory would be very upset if you hurt his prized stallion or if you allowed for me to go into the Black Market by myself. I believe the former option will be best for you.” Any shakiness had finally left her tone then, regaining the diplomatic voice she had before. She held her head up high, pulling the reins once more. Echo took a few steps back before she gave a soft kick to his side. He immediately charged forward, moving quickly between two of the sentries as Rose rode him towards the depths of the Black Market. She pulled him to a stop once she was far enough in, bringing a hand up to pull the hood back over her head. Her eyes scanned the area surrounding her. Her muscles were tensed as she prepared for anything to happen.

It seemed, however, that most of the activity was surrounding a brothel located not far from where she had stopped Echo. She slid carefully off of the horse, legs shaking due to the speed of the ride. “Stay.” She instructed in a whisper, patting the horse’s nostrils gently. She then began to make her way towards the crowd surrounding the building. She could recognize the faces of many of the noblemen that her father trusted, that pledged their loyalty to the crown. She could hear their whispers, the soft sounds echoing from inside the building. She carefully made her way inside, shoving through the crowd enough to do so. She tugged the hood tighter over her head while she did.
 
"The hell-" One of the sentries had spoken, bewilderment at the sound of horse's hooves echoing within the night being a very rare thing to hear indeed. Both of them had visibly tensed at the sight of Rose, which resulted in both sentries trying to stand in the way of the entrance. The shakiness of her words seemed to pull at one of them, pity almost flaring in the man's gaze though his companion seemed less than moved, his expression icy as either of them responded to her demands at first. Of course, her threat had caused both of them to visibly tense, one of which spoke, "Lady Barclay, you cannot-" Neither of them were intimidated by her, but both of them did hesitate at the mention of Emory's possible situation being one of peril, and considering Rose was on top of a horse that could easily trample both of them... well neither of them wanted to deal with it. However, it didn't seem like Rose gave either of them a choice, a curse flying from one of the men's lips as she abruptly pushed past with Echo, "H-hey! Shit.. we have to follow. Go alert the rest of them, get Mathias aware as well if you can!" With that it seemed as if one sentry was accompanying her while the other had hurried off to alert Mathias to Rose's all too hasty break in to the Black Market.

On the inside, considering the Black Market resided underground, the makeshift market was filled to the brim with hastily put together buildings made of planks of discarded or old wood. Plenty of odd smells and sights could be seen as well as unknown goods from faraway lands being put on display. Of course, Phildia's Touch, a usually more quiet location was filled to the brim with activity, and with it Laurence Barker was enjoying every single second. The man on the inside of the building was counting a pouch full of coins, humming an all too cheerful tune, only for his head to snap upward as he saw the line of nobles beginning to be pushed and shoved aside, complaints filtering to his ears. Though, he knew most of the attraction of the nobles was due to his own son, some of them were here for the women he still had under his ownership. A huff left his lips, only for his face to pale as he spotted a sentry behind the smaller hooded figure.

"Hey! HEY!" He shouted, springing to his feet as he knocked over the pouch of coins he had been cheerfully counting just seconds ago, the sound of the metal being grating as he rounded the corner of his desk, now blocking the way of Rose's progress as he pointed at her, "The hell are you doing with those weapons?! Get 'em out of here!" He would be damned if someone would lug around obvious weaponry within his establishment, this was a place of pleasure, not a colosseum! "If you're gonna come in here, you better pay up too! Don't you realize you're ruining business for me - ack!" His sentence was cut off due to the sentry lingering behind Rose having produced a hidden dagger from underneath his cloak, pressing the blade against the man's neck which as a result had caused a stir within the crowd, the nobles having stepped away as the sentry spoke, "Where is Lord May?" Laurence's expression tightened as he swallowed thickly, holding his hands up as he spoke nervously, "L-listen, he came here on his own. I have nothing to do with what-" The dagger pressed tighter against his throat causing him to sweat, "Okay! Okay, j-just don't kill me." A coward till the end it seemed, but there was nothing more he could do. I hope she doesn't kill me for this... The only person he feared more than anything was Eunice. He'd promised the woman he wouldn't interrupt... but this was an exception.
...​
"Ahgh... ah.." Emory's expression twisted with pain, the broken sounds leaving his lips causing Eunice to smile. The man was obviously pushed over his limits, though not quite to the point she wanted... but it seemed as if the drug was doing wonders on how docile he was. The heavy breathing of Valentine had echoed in her ears, the man having dropped his grip upon Emory's body, having grown bored of the limp man as he grumbled, "As good as it is that he's not fighting... it's a bit boring." Her gaze slid over the duke's body as he retrieved his discarded clothes, beginning to cover himself from her view as she responded with a soft coo, "Would you rather him try to take your other eye?" The man visibly stiffened, his head turning to face her as he hissed between clenched teeth, "Watch your tongue, harpy." The woman laughed in return, her gaze dropping to Emory who was now laying limply on the floor, the ragged sound of his breathing coming rather grating.

"Shut up already!" Valentine's voice snapped, his leg moving in a swift kick to the Emory's side had caused the limp body to react, jolting as his chest heaved, "N-ngh!" The breathless sound was pitiful which only served to cause Valentine to grin, prompting the man to grab Emory by the cold metal collar around his neck, the man settling upon the ruined bed that was covered with bits of blood as he forced the man to settle upon his lap, "Heheh... I could get used to him like this. He's almost cute this way." Eunice responded across the room, her voice tinged with amusement, "For you, I can certainly keep him very docile. You'll just have to continue paying though for these special moments you can have with him." A grumble of complaint responded in turn to Eunice's words, though the woman's head turned as she heard footsteps approaching the room. She thought she had told Laurence not to interrupt until they were done. Curiosity sparked within her, though a smile was quick to flicker across her lips. Ah... time to leave a scapegoat.

Emory felt his arms being tugged around the man's shoulders, his lips being forced and crushed underneath his own, his breathing ragged as the pain was beginning to become overwhelming. He felt a chill down his spine, a shifting in the air as it felt like something had suddenly vanished, though this was Eunice suddenly teleporting away through magic... but did he care? No. There was no escape from this man before him, his body couldn't even obey despite him wanting to push the man away. A heavy hand grasped the back of his head, curling tightly into his own hair as the kiss was deepened, a tongue sweeping into his mouth, forcing his own tongue to obey and submit. Hadn't he done enough? Was this not enough suffering? He already felt all shreds of his dignity being crushed into nothing... Then he heard the door open.

The pressure upon his lips vanished suddenly as he heard a stunned exclamation from Valentine, "W-what?" Emory's body had crumpled like a broken doll, falling back as Valentine had suddenly let go of him, landing upon his back, unmoving as his shallow breathing echoed in the room. Was there more people now that he had to please? "...ngh..." A very weak sound left his lips as he couldn't muster the strength to speak, his broken body being unable to move to see who it was... not that he could process it until the effects of the drug left his system, but he truly was a pitiful sight. His eyes truly seemed dull, hearing abrupt shuffling behind him as his eyes stared blankly up at the ceiling. He heard Laurence's voice echoing from behind him, "Happy now? J-just hurry up and take him out of there or do whatever the hell you need to do." Laurence's retreating footsteps seemed far too loud to the man whose gaze slowly shifted to Valentine who seemed as pale as a sheet, probably due to him always attempting to have a spotless reputation, him being caught in this situation was possibly the worst thing to happen to him. It was as if he were a deer in headlights. However, to Emory he could feel no joy, no emotion; nothing. The man simply couldn't move anymore, Valentine's fingernails had left ugly welts upon his skin, already worsening the damage of bloody cuts and ugly bruises that covered him everywhere, and the thin layer of sweat and fluid upon his body.. it simply wasn't a good look.
 
Being within the Black Market was unlike anything that Rose had experienced before. She tried to not allow herself to be distracted by anything surrounding her as she forced her mind to narrow in on why she was there. If she spent too much time here, she wouldn’t be able to find Emory. If she didn’t find Emory, he could be in more trouble than he already might be. Truthfully, the entirety of it felt as though it might collapse around her any second. Even as she shoved through the noblemen to gain her position now at the front of the line that had formed, she worried one wrong move would cause the room to collapse. The hood dangled partly into her face and she forced her breathing to stay calm. She didn’t want to create too much of a scene immediately if she could help it. Her heart sank in her chest as she heard a familiar voice scolding her, loud footsteps following.

She lifted her gaze to meet that of Laurence Barker’s, the man she met briefly before at the beginning of her residency at Emory’s estate. Her fist clenched slightly from the phantom pain the memory of the man brought back. She still could recall the way in which he had tried to crush her hand during their first meeting. She doubted he would remember her then if she did show herself, but she still wouldn’t risk it. Those surrounding them would know her identity the moment the hood slipped from her head. She lifted her hand to rest gently on the hilt of the sword, reading herself to pull it free from its sheath if she needed to. She pulled it partly out when the sentry stepped forward and pressed the blade to the man’s neck. Her nostrils flared somewhat, expression darkening as she waited for a response.

The intimidation of the sentry worked well enough and she allowed for the blade to rest back in the sheath. Her steps were swift as she followed after the man, glancing around her as they moved. She could hear soft sounds of pleasure echoing from other rooms, though she was quick to turn her head to avoid seeing anything she would rather not. The hallways twisted, the air growing stuffier the further back they went. She collided with a man standing in the hall, the force enough to cause her to pause and stumble back. The hood slipped slightly from her head though she hadn’t realized until she saw the widening of his eyes. She blinked rapidly, lifting her hand to tug the hood fully back on. She quickened her pace to catch up with the sentry and Laurence. Though nothing could prepare her for what she saw when she entered the room.

Her heart had been broken many times before, but not in the way it had when her eyes landed on Emory. She hadn’t ever seen the young lord in such a state. The sounds to his body were fresh and she knew they would need to be treated as soon as they returned to the manor. She felt herself freezing near the doorway, heartbeat pounding in her ears. Her eyes darted between Emory, Laurence, and then Valentine. She recognized the man immediately, expression twisting in rage. “I suggest you leave before I slit your throat. If you ever attempt to do what you have done to him again, you won’t just lose your other eye.” Her words were almost a growl, the anger reflecting in her tone. She truly didn’t care if anyone saw who she was then. She took two steps towards Emory then and knelt at his side. She looked him over as she debated what she could do and how they could easily get him out of the room before taking him back to the manor.

“It’s alright Emory. I am here. We are going to get you home and I am going to take care of you.” Her tone began to tremble again as tears welled in her eyes. She looked around the room for anything, any sign of the clothing he had been wearing before. She spotted it in a crumbled ball across the room. She stood carefully, wincing some as she did before she moved to grab it. The weight of the weapons she grabbed were beginning to get to her along with all of her other ailments. She forced her own pain aside; knowing Emory was far more important in that moment. She brought the clothes back to his side before she began to carefully redress him. The limp weight of his body didn’t do anything to help her and she struggled lifting his legs to get his pants back on. She managed to do so, just not as quickly as she would like. She knew she would need to bathe him once back at the manor and treat the wounds he had been given. She had every intent to help him in every way she could, even if she did have plans to scold him for doing this the next day.

“Come help me.” She commanded the sentry that had accompanied her in, moving to carefully pull Emory into a sitting position. With the sentry’s help, she managed to get him to his feet. She wrapped one of his arms around her shoulders with her own arm around his waist. She staggered under his weight for a moment before she began to carefully help him out of Phildia's Touch. Her entire body was shaking as she did, but her determination was enough to help her. “We need to get him to the carriage and then back to the manor. I will meet you there when I return with Echo. If I could get some help getting him upstairs, it would be greatly appreciated.” She grunted to the sentry as they began to push through the crowd of noblemen near the entrance once more. Her legs felt like they were going to give out beneath her at any second then.
 
Valentine's face paled further as his eyes shifted between Rose and the sentry whose expression had contorted with both rage and shock. "I-I won't, I-I swear!" His voice had suddenly lost all of the previous confidence it held, especially more so that Eunice had suddenly vanished much to Valentine's further shock as the man hastily stood from his position on the ruined bed, fleeing immediately from sight though the sentry standing behind Rose was eyeing him with an expression that could kill, fury twisted the man's face which furthermore made the duke's pace faster which now only left Rose, Emory and the sentry alone within the colorful and yet filthy room.

Emory remained motionless upon the floor, his breathing ragged although it was beginning to slow now that his body wasn't being abruptly moved, nor was he bracing himself for anymore pain. Rose's voice filtered within his ears... but there seemed to be no recognition in the man's eyes, nor did he seem to react at all as she had came into view. His lips parted, trembling as he struggled to form words, but all it seemed to result in was a quiet and strangled sound leaving his lips. If his mind would've been clear, he perhaps would have been ashamed to be seen in such a state, or would have snapped at Rose for coming somewhere so dangerous on her own, that he could handle himself... but for now his mind seemed to have shut down. He barely reacted to the sensation of being redressed, though the brush of clothing on his multitude of wounds had caused sounds of pain to leave his lips, a soreness within his limbs after the hours of suffering he had to endure. This resulted in the sentry finally drawing near to support Emory's body weight as to not let Rose struggle on her own, hearing the sentry's voice beginning to tremble, though this was a result of rage, "Understood, my lady." It seemed as if she had received a slight bit more respect from at least one sentry, however it was mostly due to the all too horrid state of the young lord who wasn't truly supporting himself or reacting to anything other than pain.

The sentry grunted slightly underneath the heavier weight of Emory, though as they stepped out of the brothel, it seemed as if the other sentry who had been posted was running toward them, Mathias in tow. Alarm was on both of the sentries expressions as they came to a halt, resulting in the one sentry who was helping Rose with Emory to shake his head firmly, "No time to explain. We need to get Lord May out of here. Bring the carriage to the entrance," He paused as he looked to Rose, his expression firm, "We'll meet you back at the mansion." Mathias's gaze settled on Rose then, a tinge of something akin to almost distaste had crossed his expression, but then again one couldn't be too sure due to his expressions always being quite similar to one another. "Go, we'll take care of this." To the sentry, however, Rose seemed absolutely ridiculous considering the weapons she had on her, and barely being able to support the unmoving man, was this to be the lady of the estate? A sharp exhale left him as he approached Rose, hoisting Emory's arm off from her and slinging it over his own, easing the brunt of the weight onto himself as he seemed to be willing enough to take over for now. But, he was also becoming antsy. They were drawing attention to themselves, and with Emory being as unresponsive as he was, the last thing they needed was to be standing around.
 
Rose lifted her gaze at the sound of footsteps approaching her, immediately recognizing the sentry that had been guarding the entrance from earlier and Matthias. She truly believed that the man didn’t like her as his expression had shown such many times before. It wasn’t as though she did anything to warrant that feeing from any of Emory’s sentries. She had done everything in her power to ensure Emory’s safety in every situation that she had gotten herself involved in. Her expression furrowed when another wave of dizziness hit her, her head beginning to spin. She blinked rapidly in order to try to clear it away once more like she had before, but it stuck to her this time. She refused to let it show, knowing that getting Emory back to the estate was far more important than her own issues at that moment.

She stepped away once Matthias came forward and took Emory’s weight from her shoulders. She looked to the man that she loved so dearly, his appearance causing that familiar aching to fill her chest. Her eyes then darted between the two sentries now holding him up. “Alright, I will see you there.” She finally spoke, a light frown coming to her lips knowing she had to leave Emory’s side once more. She took a few more steps back before she turned and hurried back to where she had left Echo. She was aware that she probably looked rather ridiculous due to the weapons she adorned and the oversized cloak she had thrown on. She just hadn’t known what to expect while visiting the Market and hadn’t wanted for anything more to happen. She could defend herself to the best of her abilities, with or without the weapons.

Her vision began to blur by the time she returned to Echo, carefully climbing onto the saddle once more. Her hands were trembling as she grabbed ahold of the reins, nausea swirling in her stomach. She leaned forward in the saddle partly in her failed attempt to regain her composure. Her lips parted and she took a few deep breaths in, though it only made her stomach stir even more. She tightened her grip on the reins, yanking them for Echo to take off back towards the mansion once more. The ride was swift, the chill of the evening air surrounding her as she rode. She honestly couldn’t recall physically getting back to the stables. By the time she arrived, her dizziness had grown to be a pounding migraine in her temples. She slid carefully from the saddle, though immediately lost balance once she landed on her feet. She stumbled forward some, using the wall to balance herself. Then, she emptied what little contents were left in her stomach.

She stayed bent over for a few minutes, unable to shake away the overwhelming feelings overcoming her. She blamed it entirely on the situation she had found Emory in. That combined with the fall she had taken earlier and the lack of food she consumed that day were a sickly consequence. She managed to finally push herself from the wall before she returned the weapons to where she had found them. She then undid the saddle from Echo’s back, her arms struggling to pull it off and place it back on the wall. She cast one more glance to the stallion before she turned and began to make her way towards the mansion. Her steps were much slower as she followed the familiar path in the grass. Her mind was racing through what she would need to do in order to help him. There would be no possible way for her to give him a proper bath, so a wet sponge would have to do for the time being. She knew there wasn’t any salve in the mansion for the wounds he had, but the herbs in the kitchen would create something that would work until she could get a more permanent solution. She had unfortunately learned how to make quick salves during her time with Blaine. Her steps paused once she got to the front door, pushing it open carefully.
 
The sentries present had seemed to barely acknowledge Rose's words as full attention had turned toward the unresponsive man. As she rode away, Mathias had heaved a heavy sigh, grunting as he forced Emory's weight to lean more so against him than the other sentry, speaking icily, "Come. We're wasting time, let's get him back as soon as possible." His eyes shifted down to attempt to glimpse any sign of acknowledgement from Emory, but there seemed to be none. His eyes remained empty and soulless, only the sounds of his weak breathing being a sign of life at this point. He could smell the distinct sweet aroma beneath all the filth of the drug that had been supposed to have been disposed of due to Emory's influence... but even then it seemed like production of said drug was still ongoing. A sharp exhale left the man in his irritation at the oversight, but nothing could be done now.
...​
By the time Emory's carriage had rolled in front of the mansion, it seemed as if twenty minutes or so had passed. Underneath the support of his sentries, Emory's body was gently moved from the carriage into the mansion, the man having not broken his silence now as he was carefully carried up the stairway and placed upon his bed within his room. Soon, the man was left on his own, if only due to Mathias desiring to clear the room and get Rose to tend to him.

Within Emory's mind, there seemed to still be no coherent thoughts, only remnants of pain and fear. His body twitched, feeling beginning to flare to life once more in his numbed limbs as he... honestly couldn't recognize where he was. A strangled sound finally left him as he struggled to move, his body aching and screaming in protest at the action as he slowly but surely curled up into a tight ball on his bed, arms coming over his head as if to shield himself. He did not cry, not yet, for his mind was still muddled and confused, and he was anticipating blows to his body from who knows where. Nonetheless, it almost seemed like a defensive position for him to take.


(A bit rushed; on break :x)
 
no worries! i am writing this at work too so it is a bit short as well lol))

Rose’s gaze turned around the mansion, the moonlight illuminating through the windows as she did. She didn’t hear any sounds coming from upstairs yet nor did she see the carriage wheel tracks in the dirt in front of the mansion when she came inside. She was grateful to have beaten the sentries there as she wanted to get the salve made before they did. She would need to be rather careful when it came to cleaning his body in order to not aggravate the wounds she had, both mentally and physically. Worry began to fill her once again at the thought of the torment Emory’s mind was putting him through. The unresponsive manner in which he acted when they found him did little to soothe the concern she was feeling either. She took in a deep breath as she brought a hand up to rub at her face. She knew she just needed to treat him, to ensure that he would be alright before she could relax at his bedside. Her ill feelings had shifted towards improving and instead were growing worse.

She moved carefully towards the kitchen then. She grabbed the mortar and pestle that she used to grind the herbs before. She then hovered by the windowsill to grab the ones she needed. She then returned to the narrator and began to grind them down until they formed enough of a paste that she could use for his wounds. She hoped that it would be enough, though she knew that she could always come down to make more. Her hands shifted to grip the edge of the table, leaning heavily against it for a few moments. Despite clearing the contents of her stomach before, she still felt far worse than she had been. She bowed her head slightly, hair falling into her face. Her eyes stayed shut until she felt like she could move away without falling to the floor once more. Her hands then carefully grabbed the mortar and moved from the kitchen once more.

She could hear the gentle sounds of movement upstairs, knowing that the sentries must’ve just arrived with Emory. She passed them without a second glance as she climbed the stairs. She had been in such a rush that she had forgotten to take the cloak and jacket off yet, though it was the first thing she did once she stepped into Emory’s room. She placed the salve beside his bed before sliding the two garments of clothing off. Movement caught the corner of her eye, quickly turning her head to watch as the young lord curled up on his bed. She winced at the sight, not able to imagine just what all he was going through still. “It is alright Emory. You are back home and you are safe. I will never let that happen to you again.” She vowed, voice firm as she spoke. Every ounce of her curiosity wanted to know why he had gone there and done so in the first place. It made no sense after everything he told her.

She forced herself to look away as she moved towards the bathroom. She grabbed a bucket and a sponge before she carefully filled the bucket with water. She brought it out to his bedside. Her breathing was a bit labored as she stopped by his side. She didn’t reach out to touch him just yet, not wanting to startle him anymore. “Emory, I need to undress you to clean you and treat your wounds. Could you uncurl some in order for me to be able to do so?” She asked softly, one hand gripping the sponge tightly. If he didn’t, she would forcibly have to. It was something that she was hoping to avoid completely.
 
The sound of movement made the man's muscles tense and lock, though the voice that had spoken was gentle and oddly enough familiar. Who... was it? Even as Rose had spoken, the words finally made some semblance of sense within his mind, though all that resulted was making more despair fill him from head to toe. Whoever this familiar person was... she was a fool. "...Ngh.." A weak verbal response was all he could muster, the numbness still haven't faded from his lips, though his voice seemed almost hoarse. Clearly, he wouldn't be able to speak without feeling either discomfort or pain for awhile, nor would he be able to move well enough either. As of right now, he was perhaps at his most vulnerable and most dependent, something that he intensely hated in this moment more than anything, and perhaps would loathe even more when the drug finally would leave his system... if it even would remain such a way without prolonged use.

It seemed as if whoever this seemingly kind person was had left, leaving his muddled mind to fester and sink. The pulsing feeling of uncomfortable heat remained in his body, an uncomfortable feeling that would plague him until the effects left. His body felt far too sore, and was he... wearing clothes? Since when? Granted, these breaks in consciousness was only expected. The man was barely holding on and allowing himself to respond to his environment. Any action he was doing now seemed to be on reflex, old learned habits that he had buried long ago... or thought he had buried and forgotten, but it seemed like this was an impossibility. His curled position barely budged when he heard approaching footsteps once more and the irritatingly familiar kind voice had spoken again. However, the only word he could pick up far more clearly than the others was "undress".

Again..? The thought was empty, though fear raged within the man's heart, his mind had simply given up. A few tense moments had passed, it almost seemed as if Emory wouldn't comply... until he slowly began to move. Tiny sounds of pain left him as he tried to shift his position off from his side, his countless injuries protesting at the action, each spasm of pain made the man's breathing uneven, teeth gritting as his numb fingers attempted to struggle to tug off his clothing, knowing full well he perhaps would be humiliated more so than before if he didn't hurry. His body however was at its limits, despite the sudden haste his mind was subjecting him to in order to obey a command that certainly was just fueled by concern for his well being. However, his movements despite how slow they were, it seemed robotic as if it was merely on impulse. Eventually, through much struggling on his own, his clothes had finally slipped from his body, the fabric being stained with some fresher blood as it seemed some wounds had reopened in his struggling as Emory's body had settled into sitting before her on the bed, his head tilting back as he blankly stared at her, light shivers going through his arms from obvious fear, but he didn't vocalize it, nor did his facial expression shown anything else than being completely empty.

Worse was the fact that it seemed like the steel collar that Eunice had placed on him as soon as he'd gotten to the brothel was still around his neck. In the haste to take him away, the item itself was forgotten... but it was cruel, dehumanizing truly. However, to Eunice it was insurance that he wouldn't wind up blasting people with magic fire out of terror or rage - in case a threat against Rose's life wasn't enough to keep him under control - a safety measure that suppressed the raging mana within his body. Nonetheless, with his haggard and beaten appearance... it just truly seemed wrong.

His body on the other hand was rather worse up close, with lacerations of various kinds that would add to the count of scars already lining his skin. Deeper injuries seemed to be located upon his back, made from the cruel edge of a whip, though that could be blamed on Eunice once again bringing usually forbidden weapons into the brothel after paying Laurence a hefty sum of money, just to see how crazed and cruel her little friends could get. Shallower marks were toward his upper back and shoulders, leaving fresh welts upon his skin, some of which dried blood had caked up due to repeated digging in of fingernails, perhaps a woman's nails though one could never be sure. Tinier bruises were littering his upper chest and neck, love bites left behind by patrons, and uglier, bigger bruises settled upon his sides and down his thighs, some in the shape of fingers, others clearly made by the sharp blow of a boot. However, the injuries made by a blade's edge seemed to be the most common; although whether from a simple dagger or a sword's edge was far more difficult to tell. Some cutes were shallow and some deep, others barely missing vital organs. Some seemed like someone intended to skewer him though, and these covered his chest and arms, some upon his legs and inner thighs. It truly seemed like the man had endured quite a lot in the hours he had been away. Of course, such injuries should only be tended to after most of the filth was cleaned away, his skin was still quite sticky and it wouldn't do to allow his injuries to become infected... but with how the man was watching her with his empty gaze, it was unknown how he could react to someone touching him again.
 
Rose was grateful that Emory seemed conscious enough to listen to what she was asking him to do, though the gentle sounds of his pain as he removed his clothes did little to soothe his mind. The concern that she seemed to be feeling all too much as of late was quick to spark back in her chest. She adverted her gaze while he managed to remove the clothes they rushed to get onto him back in the Market. She hadn’t realized they didn’t remove the collar until that moment. Her heart dropped back her chest, another wave of sickness hitting her. She swallowed her in her best attempt to shove it down. She kept reminded herself that Emory needed her in that moment. If she allowed herself to get overwhelmed, he wouldn’t get the help he desperately needed. By the look of the wounds she could see, he was going to need quite a bit of help and rehabilitation.

Her shaking hand dipped the sponge carefully into the bucket of water she had set down, squeezing it so some of the liquid fell from it. “Alright Emory, I am going to clean you off and then I am going to treat your wounds. I will get the dollar off afterwards.” She explained, voice still holding the familiar kindness it often did. She moved forward and carefully began to run the sponge over his chest, swirling it in gentle movements to clean the muck that covered his body. It seemed as though he wouldn’t react to anything that she would do, though she hadn’t a clue as to why yet. She just made sure to be as careful as she could in cleaning him. She knew that it would sting going over the fresh wounds that covered his body. She made a mental note to grab some cloth to cover the salve on the deeper wounds he had. It would be a long process, but it would be one she was willing to undertake to help him. She dipped the sponge back in the bucket, squeezing it one more, and then began to clean him again.

The process was slow due to her gentle movements, not wanting to aggravate him any. The longer that she spent cleaning him, the worse she began to feel. “Why would you let them do this to you?” Her words were a mere whisper, shock filling her voice as she completely stepped back. Her eyes surveyed the damage to his body once more. She had gotten his body as clean as she possibly could with the lack of a use of a bath. She hoped he might be willing to take one tomorrow if he was partly back to himself. She lifted the bucket once more, body wobbling some as she carried it back to the bathroom. She dumped it and then placed it aside with the sponge still inside. She shifted to a closet in order to grab a towel and the cloth she had been planning on getting later. Once back at his side, she carefully pat him down with the towel. The sheets beneath the man were wet, but there was nothing she could do to change them in that moment. She doubted he would mind as he didn’t seem to recognize any of what was going on.

Her own skin had paled by that point, her movements getting shakier. Sweat beads ran down her forehead and her stomach twisted more and more. That familiar heat of a fever was beginning to slip over her, though she wouldn’t stop. She could worry about herself later. She placed the towel off to the side before she grabbed the salve she made before. “This is going to sting at first, but I promise you will feel better soon.” She warned, her own voice growing softer and shallower. Her trembling fingers began to run the salve gently over each wound that he had. She covered each cut, each bruise, each whip mark. She then carefully wrapped the cloth around the deeper wounds, including those on his back. She paused for a moment to lean against the bedside table, ignoring the dizziness that was causing her vision to go black. You are almost done and then you can sit. You need to get the collar off of him and then you can sit. Her mind murmured the reassuring words to her ears, then being enough for her to push away from it and make her way down the stairs once more.

She placed the mortar in the washbasin before turning her gaze to see what she could use for the collar. She spotted a small vegetable knife, one she knew she could use to pry the hinges of the collar off of his neck. She carefully grasped it and then returned to his room. Her chest was heaving some by the time she got there, but she knew that she was almost done. She returned back to his side, glancing between the collar and the knife she had in her hands. “Alright Emory, this is going to be the worst part. I am going to lean you forward and then I am going to get the collar off. It is going to hurt, I know. I apologize if I knick you.” She warned, her voice becoming as shallow as he breathing. She used her free hand to lean him forward like she had to treat the wounds on his back. She then pressed the tip of the knife deep into the hinges of the collar. She began to try and wiggle it in before she pulled to the side to separate the hinges enough to where they could pop away. It was very late into the night by that point, darkness having almost fully set in the room due to the lack of moonlight.
 
As much as Rose was trying her best to begin to tend to the man, Emory's mind wasn't truly processing her actions being one of kindness. As the cold water of the sponge touched his skin, he had flinched, the chill being unexpected and the gentle touch being truly a shock to his system. Whoever this stranger was, why were they being gentle with him? He didn't understand. Yet, any prior thought of confusion had vanished as soon as the sponge began to come into contact with his injuries, the water alone causing pain to flare up within his body, causing a faint whimper to leave his lips. No... I can't... anymore.. The pain, although nothing compared to when the injuries had been inflicted was just enough to cause the residual drug within his system to muddle the sensation to pleasure... though by this point it wasn't by much due to the fact he had been able to move his arms and body just enough earlier. "...ple.." His voice strained to try to speak, though it was far too weak, cursing the fact that his throat wasn't up to the task of vocalizing words, the hoarseness to his voice being painful to listen to.

However, what use was it to plea for the cruelty to stop? He already knew that it was useless to waste his energy, and so whatever brief spark of life to try and get Rose to cease had vanished just as quickly, any tension in his arms having been released as he tried to silently endure. The pain however had made quiet sounds leave the man's lips, his breathing becoming uneven as the pain reflected in his unfocused gaze. This stranger's touch although gentle, was slow. Too slow. It was maddening how methodical it was, careful to reach every injury that marred his skin, prompting more painful sounds to leave his throat. "...Ple..a.." He tried again, his arms feeling weak, legs beginning to tremble as he was trying to vocalize for her to stop. Of course, she did stop temporarily, if only to begin to dry him off with the towel. The tug of rough material against his wounds further made the man whimper, his facial expression finally begin to show a flicker of emotion: anguish. The sensitivity to his body was torturous, flaring up the agony further as his dull eyes swelled with unshed tears.

It was only when she had began applying the salve to his wounds did the tears begin to fall. The pleasure he was feeling was completely overshadowed by the pain now, prompting the man's voice to strain in broken sounds. It truly seemed like the effects of the drug they had forced him to consume that day was beginning to wear off as midnight was fast approaching. He couldn't take much more of this, his chest heaving as his body didn't seem to want to move, only twitching occasionally as the tears didn't stop streaming down his face. However, even this didn't seem to be the end. As Rose had left, the man's heavy breathing had settled into panting, "...n..o... more..." There was no one in the room to hear him, however due to Rose having left to get the knife to try and pry open the steel collar that was tightly bound around his neck.

When she returned yet again, Emory's eyes slid to the glint of the knife within the darkness, resulting in the man's expression to twist yet again. Pleading he knew was useless, but now it seemed he still had to endure more, even if it was due to someone desiring to help him, he didn't want to be in contact with touch anymore. "..Please.." The word finally slipped his lips as Rose had approached him, his already trembling body doing him little favors in any sort of control as the tip of the knife was plunged into the collar. As Rose had struggled with the knife to open up the collar, Emory's body hadn't shown any resistance, or even awareness yet that it was her. The tip of the knife did manage to knick some of the skin underneath, prompting little intakes of breath from Emory's already horrid breathing. If this pain wasn't going to end, maybe if he begged for more of the drug then he could be able to ignore everything. Of course, his mind wasn't clearly thinking, not even realizing he wasn't in the Black Market anymore, nor could Rose possibly know what he was talking about, the man's arms finally moved, clutching at her clothing, though it seemed like even the grip could easily be pushed away. He didn't have any of his strength back yet.

Emory's uneven panting was interrupted by faint sounds as he was struggling to strain his voice to be heard, "..M..ore... dr.." His voice slurred at the end, tears still streaming down his face as he struggled again, "...D..dr...ug... can't... take.. much.. more.." The dullness of his eyes now fixated on Rose's face, no sign of him recognizing her whatsoever within the pale golden depths, though now reddened from his tears. However, this alone implied that he had indeed been drugged, and it was beginning to fade from his system. Though, Emory certainly could better explain himself later, it didn't seem like he was all too aware of what he was asking from someone who was trying their best to save him.
 
Every hoarse sound of pain that left Emory as she tended to him only caused for Rose’s heart to clench. She never wanted to see the man in such a way, especially since she knew this is how he had been treated before. She couldn’t imagine how he had been able to get through it in the way he had. None of her words of reassurance seemed to do anything to soothe him, nor did they seem to ever actually reach his ears. She took in a gentle breath in order to calm herself. Tears began to swell in the corner of her own eyes. She refused to let them fall, to let him see any sign of weakness from her. Everything was beginning to combine and the nausea that threatened to force her to step away to the bathroom. She swallowed hard, trying to focus on her own breathing to help ease her kind some. She had never seen him in such a state like this and hoped that she never would again. Emory didn’t deserve to be treated like he was nothing more than a scrap on the floor by the people at the brothel.

Familiar confusion settled in her mind at the thought of why he had even gone in the first place. She truly couldn’t think of any logical reason as to why he would allow himself to return to the one place that he worked so hard to get away from. She was taken from her thoughts as he managed to utter a simple begging word, one that finally caused for the tears that had been lingering in her eyes to fall. “I am almost done Emory. Once I get the collar off, you can rest. It will be alright.” She whispered, tightening her grip on the knife. She continued to pry until eventually the collar popped, causing her to stumble back from the force of her actions. She took care in making sure she didn’t drop the knife from her hands while she did so. She didn’t want for the clattering of the knife to scare him anymore than he already was.

She managed to steady herself enough to where she believed she could return downstairs to put the knife back where it belonged. As she moved to take a step from the room, she felt the grip on her clothes and she heard the begging from his lips. She immediately turned back around, eyes widening at the realization. “Oh gods…” She whispered, immediately moving back to his side. She could see the tears streaming clearly down his face then, the anguish beginning to become clearer on his expression. She reached her free hand up to carefully tug the steel collar from where it had been sitting. She had every intention to chuck it into the bin once she returned to the kitchen. She didn’t want any reminders of what occurred around for him once she realized where he was. “It’s over Emory. You can rest. You’re safe.” She promised. She didn’t dare try to touch him any, knowing she would probably be greeted with more sounds of his pain.

“I will be right back and then I will be by your side all night. Get some sleep. You will be alright in the morning, I promise. I will go to the kingdom to get you some salve if your pain doesn’t get better.” She promised. She took a few steps back slowly in order for his hands to carefully fall from her clothes. She then made her way from the room. It was only then that she realized that her tears hadn’t stopped streaming down her cheeks. They had fallen onto her dress, the marks clear even in the darkness of the mansion. She hurried to the kitchen to return the knife and then to throw the collar away. She managed to get herself back up the stairs and to his room once more before she finally sat in the chair that she left beside his bed from the night before. Her legs felt as though they were going to collapse from underneath her at any moment by that point, her dizziness becoming overwhelming. The headache had only gotten worse and her skin was hot to the touch. She brought a hand up to rub at her eyes, wiping her tears away while she did so. She had no doubts she was getting sick, but intended to keep her focus on Emory for as long as she possibly could.
 
(rushed, gotta go to work!)

It's over...? The reassurance from Rose's lips barely made any sense to Emory's ears, though a strong sense of relief filled him as his breath caught in his chest. At least for this day, it seemed he had fulfilled his end of the deal he made with Eunice. The relief primarily being that he had assured Rose would be safe just one more day... but he would have to do it again. Although the dreaded thought did fill his mind, his body seemed to have finally given out on him as she had slowly backed away, his grip on her easily loosening and falling back to his sides, the dullness to his eyes unwavering as he mumbled some words, although very much incoherent as his body had limply fallen to the side, landing upon his bed underneath him. Rose's words didn't seem to have much of a response from the now limp man, as if all the life simply had been sapped from him as his eyes slowly closed... only for his eyes to snap open again when Rose had settled on the chair that she had left within his room.

Emory's gaze was focused intensely on the stranger, the dullness to his eyes having yet to fade. Something about this seemed too familiar to him... he didn't know why. Was this a trick of his mind? "...R.." He struggled to speak again, his voice straining, "..Rose..?" His voice, although certainly hoarse was filled with caution. It was as if he didn't truly believe she was in the room with him, the fog within his mind preventing him truly recognize that she was there. "...Yo..u're... safe..." Once more the words were puzzling, but the relief in his tone was causing his voice to tremble. Eunice had spared her this day... thank goodness. Fresher tears began to trickle down his cheeks onto the sheets beneath him as his eyelids drooped further, slowly beginning to sink deeper into unconsciousness.

Eventually, the man had fallen asleep, though it seemed his brief and strained words would only leave more questions than answers. His body was still trembling in his midst of his sleep, his breathing uneven. It perhaps wouldn't even out until he finally would wake the next day, but with Rose's worsening condition and him still having Eunice's threat hanging over his head; it truly seemed as if the next day certainly would be eventful if not stressful for the both of them.
 
no worries! c: ))

Her eyes watched the way his body seemed to fall onto the bed, his muscles finally fully going limp. She hoped that it would be entirely due to the fact that he needed the sleep that was waiting him and not due to the pin that just still be coursing through his body. The amount of wounds that littered his skin put him at much higher risk of infection than she would’ve liked. She supposed if it came to it, she might be able to send one of the sentries to the kingdom to get the proper salves needed to make sure his wounds stayed clean. She doubted they would mind as it would be done to help ensure their lord stayed alive. She knew she should try to go back downstairs once more to inform them of the news. She was well aware that they lingered around the exterior of the mansion during the night in order to protect it from anyone who might wish them both harm. She just couldn’t force herself to stand again. She pushed herself far too much already. The next moment she stood would be the moment she collapsed.

She shifted slightly in the chair as she tried to get as comfortable as she could. The wood beneath her did little to cushion her aching muscles. She refused to leave his side though, content with suffering rather than leaving him unattended. Her head rested carefully back against the edge of the chair, wincing at the pain it caused her. She tried to focus on her own breathing, allowing the shallow breaths to help keep her mind away from everything that was beginning to rise in her. She didn’t think she had any of the medicine left that Emory had gotten for her the last time nor did she want for him to worry about her when he awoke the next day. His own well-being would always trump her own in any circumstance. She knew the feeling was reserved in his mind, but it would be an issue the two would need to face at a later date.

Her body tensed at the whispering of her name from his lips. She forced her head upright again before her eyes managed to focus on the young lord in the position that he laid in. She offered him the brightest smile that she could, hoping to give him any reassurances that he might need. “I am and so are you.” She broke the silence that settled between them, her voice catching in her throat. “Sleep Emory. I will see you in the morning.” She murmured. She brought her hands together on her lap, fingers tangling with one another. She didn’t allow her head to read back until she made sure he was comfortably asleep. Even then, her mind continue to wander. She still couldn’t come up with a proper explanation as to why he would’ve gone to the Black Market to participate in such things. It really did make no sense, especially with his past experiences there. She hoped that he would be coherent enough to where he would answer any of her questions regarding it tomorrow.

Her head slowly fell back into the position that it had been on the chair before. She didn’t know when her eyes managed to fa shut or the amount of time she slept. She woke to the gentle rays of the sun shining through the windows of Emory’s room. Everything she had been feeling the night before had been amplified. Her skin was pale and sticky with sweat, a fever having taken hold of her. Her head felt like someone had suffocated her with a pillow, a strong headache pounding in her temples. Her lips parted slightly in order for her to get proper air to her lungs, mouth dry. The nausea in her stomach hadn’t faded either. She didn’t bother trying to push herself to her feet in order to go vomit the liquid in her stomach, deciding it would be best to deal with the feeling for the time being. Her green eyes were dull with exhaustion, expression twisting slightly as she looked to Emory. She was grateful to see he seemed to have managed to sleep through the night. His body desperately needed the rest.
 
In the depths of his unconsciousness, the man was stuck once more in the now quickly becoming a fiercely hated dreamscape. The man once more was seated on the familiar comfy chair, though it seemed as if the room had more pressure within. Sucking in a sharp breath, the man felt a hand sweeping underneath his chin and tilting his head up, "Hello, my little toy. I feel so very sad our time together today was cut short..." The disappointment in the woman's voice seemed so genuine, and yet as he gazed within the hateful hazel eyes that gazed down at him, he knew quite well she meant not a single word. A sickening feeling twisted his gut as Eunice heaved an exaggerated sigh, "Do not look at me so! It certainly hurts to be looked at so harshly. I didn't lay a single finger on you today, that was all my friends instead!"

"Friends that you invited." His scathing reply came out harshly, angrily as he couldn't bring himself to look her in the eyes, "And just who was it that kept feeding me a drug that should've been disposed of years ago?! Where the hell did you even.." He trailed off, the glint to Eunice's eyes making him all too aware of his position here. Asking questions would get him nowhere, Eunice had shown him that much when he had first arrived in that godsforsaken brothel. Even now he could feel in the dreamscape the uncomfortable amount of mana that Eunice had forced his eyes open to see, even if it was a dream, the amount made him feel ill. This woman was no human, that was for certain. Dropping his eyes down to his legs, he almost wanted to laugh at the bad luck that seemed to have been dumped on him. He couldn't escape this as much as he wanted to.

"Don't fret, I won't hurt you here. Consider this a little tryst between us two... I only brought you here for one reason alone." Emory heard the woman's footsteps echoing as she approached him, leaning close enough to him as the woman settled herself upon his lap, her hands coming to gently rest on either side of his head and tilted his head upward so that he couldn't look away from her. "Your little Rose, right? It's adorable how much she is concerned over you... but it's quite annoying when it interrupts our time together. We had a deal, did we not? If you don't hold up your end, I won't hold up mine. Do you want her to die, Emory?" Her tone which had been light had turned angry toward the end, her fingers lacing into his black hair, tugging harsh enough to cause pain as the sudden strength she was using had made him grunt, her painted lips turning down in a harsh scowl, "After all, I'm feeling quite upset. The thought of killing her is quite tempting-"

"Please, don't!" Panic flared in his chest, though hatred tinged within it, "I'll... try to keep her out of this. Just.." He trailed off, feeling disgust at himself for pleading. Before, he would have never pleaded so pathetically for anything, but what leverage did he have here? He had none, not with this monster that was now smiling from ear to ear down at him, "Good boy. I expect you to come back to me tomorrow as well, you can't rest just yet." Emory felt a sick feeling settle within his stomach, "..Again?" He'd have to suffer through that again? Within the dream he couldn't feel the injuries he sustained from his little foray into the Black Market, he knew that he probably wouldn't be able to move easily. Eunice cooed, leaning her head close, "Yes, again. I didn't have my turn with you yet. But fear not, I'll make sure it'll only be us. Okay?"

The sick feeling intensified as he dropped his gaze, beginning to tremble. Yes, he had went through hell, but he could recall all too well from hazy memories of his youth that Eunice was a whole other level of agony. His lips pressed into a tight line, tension settling within him as Eunice whispered, "Remember, I can kill her anytime I want. Make your decision, Emory, and do make sure she doesn't try to interrupt us again."

"We have a deal after all."
...​
Emory awoke by inhaling deep, a sharp and sudden movement as his eyes opened. He was immediately assaulted by pain. From head to toe, his body felt as if it had been completely and utterly battered, a low groan leaving his lips which only resulted in further agony as his throat felt like it had been rubbed raw with sandpaper. The sound he emitted had broken off into a cough, trying to move, but this resulted in more intense spasms of pain primarily from his lower back and hips, his jaw clenching as his struggling stopped. There was a distinct pounding in his head, and his breathing now that he was awake was still uneven, but certainly far better than it had been during the night, an unfortunate side affect due to the sheer amount of drugs that he had been forced to consume. The disgusting taste on his tongue only seemed to have gotten far worse, making him desire to gag, but it seemed at the very least after a few experimental twitches of his hands and toes, the feeling had at least returned.

Of course, his mind was struggling to remember what had happened, there was a distinct block within his mind regarding when he had been escorted out of the Black Market until this moment. Expression twisting in pain, his eyes slowly shifted over to where he felt another presence, attempting to focus upon who was there. Her figure was blurry at first, his eyes being unable to focus... only for alarm to slowly began to rise within him as he realized it was Rose. She looked... terrible. It was a familiar sight, one that he didn't want to see again so soon. What had happened to cause her to grow ill again? His throat tightened, unable to speak for a few moments as it seemed the block within his mind yielded, suddenly flooding him with the hazy memories during the night. She had seen him in such a disgusting state. The gold of his eyes dimmed as he stared back at her, dulled and certainly nowhere close to how they normally would look like when he was fully alert and normal. How could he feel normal right now?

The man shifted slightly, causing more spasms of pain to fill him from head to toe, but realizing he wasn't going to be moving on his own for a least a little while longer, Emory had went still again. "...R..Rose..." Her name finally left his tongue again, "..You're sick... go.. lay down.." An immediate demand for her to take care of herself, though it was more or less a habit. Though, now that he realized she was sick, the man had to deal with the situation quickly, there was no time for him to be laying around; especially with Eunice breathing down his neck. Choked sounds of pain left the man's lips as he tried to get up, tears springing to the edges of his eyes as he strained to get up, "Ugh.." Eventually, he settled into a sitting position, his injuries from the night were far more visible in the morning light, granted at this point he knew quite well there was no point in trying to cover himself. She'd seen everything anyways, and had tended to him when he was unable to... how pathetic was he? "..I'll.. go get..."

The sentence broke off in another grunt of pain as he was trying to move his body off the bed, worrying enough due to the sheer amount of agony was contorting his face as his breathing was breaking off into broken pants and sharp intakes of breath. He was in no condition to go running off anywhere, but here he was, no doubt trying to force himself to go off to the kingdom on her behalf to retrieve medicine for her. This was strictly dependent on his intense fear of losing her, a fear that was currently being preyed upon by Eunice.
 
Rose almost hadn’t realized that Emory had begun to site as she tried to focus on anything that didn’t bring her the pain that was consistently trying to tug her down. The pounding is her own head refused to cease, but she blamed it entirely on the fever that was growing. It wasn’t uncommon for migraines like this to slip in whenever she did get sick. It was just another little joy her immune system decided she needed, as if she didn’t suffer enough. She tried to place where she would’ve been around anything to get her feeling this way, to get this debilitating illness but nothing immediately sprung to mind. Every time she tried to form a coherent thought, it immediately fizzled out. Annoyance began to grow in her chest as she realized she probably wouldn’t be able to connect her kind in the way she desperately needed to. If Emory woke up—

She immediately snapped her head up at the sounds coming from Emory’s body, vision fading for a moment as she did so. Her eyes settled on him once more, heart beginning to pound in her ears. She took note of the way his body spasmed without his control, the trembling taking hold of him. The way the pain had taken hold of him, it was enough to make tears form in her eyes once more. There was no reason for Emory to have done this to himself, to put himself through this unnecessary pain. She believed him to be free of the brothel and his past, free of Eunice and his father’s supposed friends. They had this discussion, she knew that he was taken from it when he was younger. She wanted, no— she needed to know why he had done it. She needed to know if there was a reason for her to be worried about, for them to have to solve together. She believed that they finally had reached a place where they had that much common ground. The affection they shared was strong enough to where he should’ve relied on her.

She hadn’t realized her own expression had tightened as her train of thought continued to bounce everywhere. Her eyes had fallen to staring at the side of the bed. In the morning light, she did truly look terrible. The paleness to her skin was exactly like it had been the day Emory had to rush to the kingdom. The sweat could be seen gleaming on her skin as the light reflected through the window. She lifted her gaze once more at the sound of his voice, the command being stuttered out causing her to snort and lightly shake her head. “You do not get to tell me to lay down Emory, not with this.” Her voice was quiet, nasally due to the blockage in her nostrils and down her throat. She wouldn’t allow for him to concern himself over her well-being when he had almost died last night. She simply refused to do it.

“You are to not move and to rest. I have every intention of sending a sentry to the kingdom to get you salve to treat your wounds. I did what I could last night with the one I made, but it will not hold up for long. Lay back down in that bed.” Her own command was swift, cold. She didn’t mean for it to be such a way, but she needed to ensure that he would be willing to lie back down. She didn’t care if the sentry got her any medicine or not. She planned to suffer through it for as long as she possibly could. She shifted carefully in the seat in order to push herself to a standing position. She paused her movements in order to clear her vision s she did so and to balance herself. She brought a hand up to rest on and untouched spot of his shoulder before guiding him back into a laying position. The skin from her hand was rather hot to the touch, fingers trembling slightly.

“I knew something was wrong when you disappeared during the day instead of the night. But I never expected to find you there, not after everything you told me. I almost killed two of your sentries with Echo trying to get to you before they had to get Matthias. We managed to get you out and to get you back here though.” She explained quietly, unable to meet his gaze. It seemed like she was trying everything in her power to not collapse beside him at that moment in time. “Why did you do it? After everything you told me, why did you go back?” The question was soft, almost a whisper. She slowly brought her eyes up to meet the dull gold ones awaiting her. She hated seeing them in such a way. She missed the gleaming ones that matched the color of the sun’s rays in autumn, the warmth that came through with them. They hadn’t been that way since Freycrest and she didn’t know if she would ever see them again. “Do not lie to me about it either Emory. I deserve to know. I love you and I deserve to know why you put yourself in that situation.”
 
Emory's painfilled expression had temporarily dropped to tension at Rose's words in response. Yes, he knew he was in no position to tell her to lay down and rest when he could barely move himself, but a tinge of frustration had settled in his chest. Who had alerted her to begin with? He could've sworn he told his sentries to be on standby, was it..? Viola. As much as he felt a bit of gratitude that he didn't have to suffer longer than necessary, it still had forced Rose to be aware of this situation. How was he supposed to dig himself out of this? However, he knew well enough that he couldn't. There was no way he could proceed further with leaving Rose in the dark, and that caused a chill to run down his spine. "Rose-" He began, his pain-lanced voice beginning to try and come across as a warning, though it was cut off by her own cold command as she had guided him back down into a laying position, alarm flooding through him at the heat that was coming off from her skin, though the movement alone of being forced to lay down did cause him immense pain, obvious enough in the twisting of his expression.

Silence soon settled over him as Rose continued to speak, relaying what she had done to try to get to him. His jaw tightened as he couldn't look her in the eyes, the dullness intensifying with each word. He never asked her to get involved, he didn't want for her to be involved whatsoever. But, he supposed from an outsider's perspective, it made so sense why he would return to such a place. He sure as hell wouldn't return willingly on his own, nor did he ever desire to go back again. Her questions seemed to be visibly making the man more tense, though it seemed Emory finally would break as soon as her last sentence was spoken, a haunted expression finally overcoming him as he responded, his hoarse voice straining, "...Because if I don't, you will die." The sentence was chilling, but there was no sign of him lying right now, allowing a bit of the truth to slip. But, it was clear, someone was using Rose's life to keep Emory under control.

A shaky hand had finally reached up and grabbed the one that was still upon his shoulder, his expression growing more so empty by the second as he mumbled, "This body means nothing to me if I can keep you safe another day." The fact alone that Emory was willing enough to throw himself into what he considered a living hell, if only to keep Rose safe in of itself was... terrifying. There was no limit to what he would have to do, no limit to the humiliation he would endure if it meant that Rose was still alive. A brief tension had flowed within his limbs as he forced himself upward again, a grunt of pain leaving his lips as tears blurred his vision, summoning what little strength in his body to try to sit upright, his jaw clenching as he forced her hand away from him. He knew asking her to stay out of everything would be cold... but he had to. She already was now considered a pest to Eunice, the dream he'd endured had shown enough. If he didn't get her to stay out it, he would lose her. Ensuring Eunice would protect her rather than harm her... he needed to keep that a reality, but now Rose was ill and that was his priority.

His tone, although laced with pain had now returned icy, "Stay out of it. There is nothing you can do, not now." He knew Rose would perhaps try to save him - hah, as if he could possibly be rescued from this. It was clear he wasn't giving her all of what he knew, but what he had given her was enough that he deemed she should know. Anything else was unnecessary, and he would not permit her to put herself in harm's way for his sake. Not again. Forcing himself, the man stubbornly forced himself off from the bed, his legs immediately wobbling underneath his own weight as unbearable pain surged through his back, though he forced himself to endure it, not looking Rose in the eyes as his gait was clearly off, every step being obviously painful, but he probably would lash out if she touched him now. It truly seemed as if he wasn't himself, or rather not the warm side that he had allowed Rose to see. Emory was merely trying to force himself to keep himself together, not desiring to fall apart now. He would not permit himself to be so weak when his side of the deal wasn't fulfilled yet for this day.
 
It wasn’t often that Rose allowed for herself to be as strict as she was in that moment, especially when she wasn’t feeling her best. But with the state that Emory was currently in, she would do he damndest to ensure that he rested in order to recover. She didn’t know how much more his body could handle. The pain reflecting in his voice and his expression only confirmed her beliefs on the matter. She wished that there was something that she could do to take the pain from him, to help shoulder some of the burden he was experiencing. She truly would do anything in her power to take care of him, to ensure his happiness until her dying breath. Her grip on his shoulder had been gentle, fingers lingering even as she did her best to ease him down. The twisting of his expression into a pain-filled mask only made her feel worse. Her breathing was a bit shallow in her own chest as she kept her gaze focused on him.

She couldn’t have anticipated the words that left his lips next. The choked words caused for the hair on her arms to raise. Her lips parted as though she was attempting to speak, but nothing was able to pass through them. Her eyes widened, nostrils flaring slightly. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t wrap her mind around it. She wished she could blame it on the fever that gripped her, but it wasn’t. The phrase sounded so incredible unbelievable. After everything she had been through, why would there be a threat against her life? She believed no one knew she was alive except for the few people she spent time with in Dusk’s Respite. “What?” The words were quiet, tone completely unsure as she finally managed to speak. Her hand began to tremble on the spot where it still rested on his shoulder. The shaking of his own hand that gently took hers didn’t do much to ease her mind any.

“Emory, what do you mean if you don’t then I will die?” She clearly wanted to know more. In fact, she thought she deserved to know more. Slowly her mind began to connect the true extent of the consequences from his words. She stool a few steps back from him, careful to not stumble over her own feet as she did so. She turned her gaze from him to her own feet as her entire body began to tremble. “How long have you hid this from me?” She inquired, voice still holding that coldness it did before. For the first time in years, anger began to swell in her chest. She loved Emory dearly and always would, but this was something she deserved to know. “If there has been a threat to my life lingering over your head Emory, I deserve to know. What if something happened? What if whoever threatened this goes against whatever they promised you and kills me anyways?” The anger was beginning to spill into her tone as she was unable to help herself any.

The movements that he made to stand caught her attention as she lifted her eyes once more. Tears were swelling in them, the whites already bloodshot from the lack of sleep she had gotten the night before. Her chest was heaving more as she struggled to get air into her lungs. The anger mixed with some panic, more weight feeling as though it was pressing down on her. “No, I will not stay out of it. This directly involves me, whether you like it or not. I cannot believe you hid this from me!” She exclaimed, voice catching in her throat. Her fingers curled into her palms, trying to control herself. “I swear to the gods Emory, if you don’t lay back down right this instant—“ Her voice only continued to raise with the anger that was growing in her once more. She moved to carefully place her hand upon his arm, almost as though she was going to guide him back to his bed. Her mind wasn’t thinking rationally and she normally wouldn’t have done so with the state he was in at that moment. “You are not going to try to be a hero and get me medicine or anything else. You are going to lay down and rest while we discuss this.”
 
Emory felt as if his world was crumbling. It truly seemed like he didnt have any control over the situation which was making him feel like he was being driven back into a corner. Was this the same helplessness he felt as a boy? No, it perhaps was much, much worse considering Rose was the center of all the anxiety rising within his chest. To him, there was no need to discuss anything. He needed to act as quick as possible before her condition grew worse, and he had other obligations to fulfill to make sure she still would live. Wasting time he would not permit.

Stone-cold silence met her anger filled words as he was slowly and stubbornly trying to go toward the door, each step sending agonizing pain up his legs and jolting down his spine. Rose's touch, as gentle as it was accompanied by her raising voice only served to make the bundling frustration within his chest begin to crack, and finally explode. "Damn it!" He snapped, his fist coming into contact with the nearest wall, splintering and sizzling underneath his fist as mana sparked to life in very weak flames as he shouted, his voice straining with every frustrated word, "Why do you consistently make things so much more harder for me?! What do you intend to do?!" Emory's eyes finally turned on her, rage sparking within them as his expression for the first time in a very long while was genuinely cold.

"I'm not going to allow you to get in the way, not this time! I can't lose you, Rose. What about that can't you understand?! I CAN'T!" His voice strained further, breathing uneven as tears were sprining to his eyes from both the pain of straining his voice to yell, and the mental turmoil raging within him. "Do you want a repeat of Freycrest? Because I sure as hell can't go through that again! I don't want to see you like that!" A reminder of when she had collapsed on the spot, cold to the touch... it was too much, an imagine that was burned into his mind permanently. Perhaps he was being far too selfish, unwilling to listen to reason from Rose. It wasn't as if what she was saying was unreasonable, it made sense and if Emory was actually thinking rationally, he probably would have conceded and allowed a discussion to actually flow. When he was in control of himself, he would always be calm and collected.

But that wasn't Emory right now. This wasn't his usual calm.

"I'm trying my best right now, so please..." He closed his eyes as he struggled to take in a deep breath, trying to make his emotions calm and settle. He should not be responding to Rose in such a way, it was wrong. A tense silence had settled as he struggled to remain upright, the pain making his knees beginning to buckle underneath him as he slowly began to move toward the door. "...If you're not going to cooperate, you leave me no other choice. I will keep you safe, Rose. I won't lose you. You are to stay here, if you try to leave to follow me, I'll make sure my sentries will keep you here."

A grunt of pain left him as he took another step, nearly collapsing as he gripped the handle on the door, pain lancing up his arm as he spoke quietly now, "I have to go out again regardless. You're ill, and you're unfit to travel anywhere." His voice was icy, lacking the explosion of emotion before, speaking as if he was going over a checklist rather than speaking to her with warmth. But, his terror was clouding his judgement right now. All his mind was filled with was saving and protecting Rose, even if he had to restrict her once again to the mansion to keep her safe. He had to do everything he could to save her.
 
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Rose immediately pulled back hand back as she watched his fist come in contact with the way, feeling the mana he released fill the room. Her eyes stayed focused on the weak flames that came from his fist. Despite what she had seen before when he first showed it to her, it was strange and it caused a surge of fear to shoot through her. Her gaze immediately darted back to him at his words. The rage in which he looked to her with was unlike any she had seen from him before. It made her feel as though she was his enemy and nothing more. Her eyes widened slightly, realization dawning on her that this might not be a fight she could win. All of the rage that was bundling in her chest immediately began to simmer down into that familiar fear. He hadn’t caused her to feel like this in the entirety of her time at the mansion, but she understood why so many were terrified of him. The chill to his golden eyes, the snarl to his voice. It was genuinely terrifying.

Her hands were trembling as they sat by her side. Her fingers curled into the side of the dress that she wore, her only reassurance that he wouldn’t accidentally act his anger out on her. “I just wished I had known! You must understand why I am upset Emory. You hid something from me that involves me in every aspect. How am I supposed to react when I find out that my life is in danger?” Her voice didn’t reach the level his was on, though it was still raised. She knew she was pushing it far more than she ever should’ve, but she couldn’t stop. She wanted to do everything in her power to get him to understand why she was reacting this way. His next comment caused for her to flinch and immediately look away. Her entire body was beginning to tremble then. “Do you think I want to lose you either? What you are going to do, it is going to kill you. They are going to kill you before they kill me Emory,” She tried to reason. His wounds were causing him far too much pain still and they had barely been patched up after last night.

“How are you going to protect me if you are dead?” The question was a cold one, one she was unable to stop as it slipped from her lips. The silence that fell between them only caused for her to begin to shake more. Her vision was blurring, but she couldn’t tell if was from the fever or from the tears that were beginning to pool in her eyes once more. Her chest felt like a weight was on it and it was beginning to get harder to fill her lungs to the capacity she needed them to be. She blamed it entirely on the panic that was settling in her at his statement. The tears fell down her cheeks, unable to stop them no matter how hard she tried. The situation was beginning to reflect her experiences with Blaine right before it got to her breaking break. She understood his frustration in the moment as the two of them had gone through far too much to be separated from one another again. But this was an extent she didn’t think Emory would ever visit. It terrified her more than she could properly express.

“Y-You do not get to do this to me Emory. You do not have the right to lock me in here as if I am some possession of yours.” Her words were shaky. She took a step forward, though she almost collapsed into the chair beside her as she did. Her hands immediately unclenched her dress in order to grip onto the back of the chair. “You won’t do this to me. You won’t force me to sit aside and watch as you get tortured because of some sick bastard that wishes to kill me. I will not allow it.” She added. She released her grip from the chair and took a few steps forward again. She had no doubts that she would be met with the slamming of the door in her face, but she needed to speak before she couldn’t tell him this any longer. “I will not forgive you if you lock me in here. If you have your sentries keep me stuck inside these walls, you cannot expect to come back and act as though none of this has happened.” Her voice was no more than a gasp as she choked on her own sobs.

She leaned over partly then as she tried to get the air back into her lungs, the tears flowing in streams down her cheeks. It took her longer than she would’ve liked to identify that she was having a panic attack. Everything that had just happened combined with the sickness she was feeling caused for her mind to go into overdrive. She felt as though she couldn’t function. The thought of Emory leaving, of him going back to deal with the brothel in his state was the start. Everything he spoke to her afterwards just triggered it again. The nausea began to rise once more. She swallowed hard as she tried to keep it down, her legs finally giving way beneath her. She slid to her knees, soft sobs raking her body as she sat there.
 
Emory took another step, her words beginning to meet their mark in his heart. The anger he was feeling, frustration and rage was beginning to spiral and spike within him as she continued to push. Why couldn't she understand he was doing this for her sake? There was no other obvious option for himself to take, if there was he would've taken it immediately. His arm reached for the doorknob then, fingers coming so close as she had began to shout at him that he had no right to do this to her. His jaw clenched in response, forcing his body to take another step... and then he heard her sobbing behind him. That caused the man to stop, freezing in place as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Had he... made her cry? The anger within him had ebbed into mere embers then, an icy cold chill coming over him as he heard the soft thud of something hitting the floor behind him which then finally caused him to look over his shoulder to see her sobbing.

"..Rose..?" The name came out in disbelief, though tainted with the hoarseness of his own voice as the sight of her was being burned within his eyes, shaking him to his core. What had he done? The iciness that had taken over his face had vanished, leaving behind a facial expression that held.. regret. Emory had sworn he would never, ever cross the line that Blaine had done with her, he had promised her and yet... here he was doing the same thing he told her he wouldn't. His lips pressed in a tight line as he gazed down at her sobbing form on the ground, she looked so small... so pitiful. This was the result of his actions, he truly was good for nothing, wasn't he? Self-loathing flared in his chest then as his hand slipped away from the doorknob, turning toward the woman though his own body truly was protesting with every single step as his body was truly reaching its limits in how much he could take with moving around.

"..Rose." He spoke again, though his voice lacked the previous emptiness and settled in one that was heavy, regret lingering within his gaze as he grunted, forcing himself to crouch down before her as he hesitantly reached out to her, his hands and fingers trembling with the action as he didn't quite make contact with her at first... only for both of his hands coming to gently cradle the sides of her face, tilting her head up to look him in the eyes. The dullness within his eyes hadn't left, but the regret that twisted his expression was clear. "..I'm so.. so sorry.." Seeing her break down like this felt as if a bucket of icy water had suddenly been dumped upon him, stopping him in his tracks. Although not all of his fear had left him, at least it seemed like some logic had been slammed into him through the reality before his eyes. His shaky fingers tried their best to wipe away the tears streaming down her cheeks, her hot skin making his expression twist into more anguish, "..I'm sorry..." He repeated his apology again, his voice beginning to tremble though whether it was from emotion, physical pain, or the strain he had put on his voice just moments before, one couldn't be too sure. Regardless, he shook his head as he lowered his gaze, allowing his hands to fall away from her face, feeling disgust at himself.

"I truly am no better, am I?" The question was bitter, prompting a heavy sigh to leave his lips as his shoulder sagged, defeated. "...Tell me what to do, Rose. I.. don't know what else to do." The hopelessness and emptiness to his tone had finally rang through, though whether or not he would speak further on the truth that she needed to know... that was unknown. Judging alone from his expression, it seemed like regret was his guiding emotion for now, his fierce rage having dissipated. His mind still was trying to think of other solutions, but there was none. Yes, he was beginning to realize his conduct so far was incredibly out of line, but could one blame him for desiring to keep Rose safe? But, then again what he had been just about to do was keep her a prisoner within his mansion again, giving her safety but denying her happiness and freedom. That wasn't a good solution.

Emory didn't dare to embrace her now, even if he desired to do so, his body was in no condition to be coming into contact with another. Some injuries upon his skin had slightly broken anew, perhaps from when he had punched the wall, it wasn't as if the wounds had much time to heal anyways to form proper scabs. Regardless, he was now sitting before her on the floor, not meeting her gaze and looking like a puppy that had just been scolded, his mind further realizing he had just made the situation far, far worse than making everything better. But, then again, that seemed to be the only thing he was good at, wasn't it? Truly was good for nothing, just like his mother had told him all those years ago. The thought made his hands clench into tight fists before him, fingernails biting into his palms as his eyes dimmed further.
 
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