Realistic or Modern Night’s Embrace | Private |

[LONELYRAIN]

Emory's gaze shifted to Rose as she had stopped when he opened the door for her. Once again, she had surprised him by thanking him and saying she enjoyed spending time with him. This had caused a warmth to fill his chest which strengthened as she smiled and stepped inside the mansion, leaving Emory to stand in silence. Only when he was certain she had left and wouldn't see him, had the man closed the door and then proceeded to turn away as he felt his face begin to burn. His skin was a deep red as his heart seemed to speed up within his chest as he took in a shaky, shuddering breath. He almost felt ill, with exception being this feeling wasn't unpleasant but it was so unusual that it was overwhelming. It was enough to nearly bring him to his knees, though thankfully he didn't do such a thing.

His mind was focused entirely upon Rose's face, which was so clear within his mind at the dark blush he had spotted upon her cheeks when she had been pulled so close to him. And despite her being so close to him, to even be held by him... he didn't find it disgusting as he usually would with women. Instead, he found it pleasant? Emory could feel his head begin to spin as he couldn't comprehend what in the world had possessed him to react in such a way. Without a doubt, he must be ill. It was perhaps why he was beginning to feel so strange. Frustrated, he raked a hand through his hair as he stared toward the mansion, his face still aflame as he whispered, "What is happening to me?" He didn't understand, and honestly these unknown feelings were scaring him more and more as they were beginning to grow stronger. If this was what friendship was like, he wasn't sure how much worse it would become from here.

...​

On the inside of the mansion, the sound of the front door being opened and closed had echoed throughout the house, followed by the familiar humming of Viola. The maid would now start her days by checking on Rose first before anything else and administering her the medicine that Emory had brought from the kingdom. So, as she went about getting the pouch of medication and beginning to make her way up the staircase, the woman nearly had walked straight into Emory who had finally walked into the mansion, though one look at him caused Viola to speak up before she could think, "Is everything alright, Lord May?" The man stopped and looked at her, an expression unlike any other she had spotted on his rather reddened face. He seemed to hesitate before answering her, "Yes. I'm fine, please see to it that R.." Viola was bewildered as he seemed to have difficulty managing to say Rose's name, eventually sighing in frustration, "Lady Barclay, make sure that Lady Barclay is tended to. Please." With that bewildering exchange, Emory had quickly retreated up the stairs to his office which left Viola standing with many questions filtering through her mind as she had approached where Rose's room was.

As she neared, she stopped in front of the door and knocked, "Lady Barclay, I'm coming in."

 

[david tennant]

Rose tilted her head to look towards the ceiling as she leaned back against the door. Her mind was replaying the incident that had occurred out by the training ground. It had felt as if the entire world stopped when Emory pulled her close. His touch had been gentle, far different from what she had been used to. It was comforting being so close to him. Her cheeks flushed pink as she recalled the events. That warm feeling came back into her chest as well. She could only assume that it was going to be very hard trying to hide how she felt towards him from then on. She didn’t want to make the situation awkward as Emory just was beginning to open up to her. She would have to be careful going forward from then on. If anything, she might be able to speak with Viola about it. She was always able to trust the maid.

She slowly moved from the down, lifting a hard to tuck the strands of hair that began to fall into her face behind her ears. She moved to the small vanity that sat on the other side of the room. She brushed through her hair before pulling it into a quick braid. She didn’t bother making it look perfect. She doubted she would see the young lord until dinner that night, if he even took the time out of the day to eat. She knew that he often had plenty of work to occupy his mind and that he sometimes would continue to work throughout the day without any breaks. She was sure that was one of the causes of the terrible headaches that he unfortunately had to deal with.

She stood when she heard the gentle knocking on the door. Her expression changed to one of confusion, wondering if it was the other male. It was when she heard the familiar voice of Viola that she relaxed some. “Come in.” She called out gently, moving to meet her halfway. She offered her a gentle smile. “Good morning Viola.” She greeted. She glanced to her hands and noticed the familiar medicine. “Thankfully my aching head is gone. I believe that I just have the fever. Once that breaks I should be as good as new.” She informed. She bit lightly on her bottom lip, debating her next words. “Emory was nice enough to show me the stables and the old training grounds this morning. I think cleaning up the training grounds is going to be my next project. It is something I can do before it gets too cold to be outside.”

 

[LONELYRAIN]

As soon as Viola had heard Rose's voice, it was only then that the maid had opened the door and smiled politely, doing her usual curtsy, "Good morning, Lady Barclay." Viola straightened up her posture as she looked curiously toward Rose as she had explained how she was feeling. Though, the maid couldn't help but be a little worried that her fever hadn't broken yet, causing a slight frown to cross her face for a few seconds. But, at the very least she could take some comfort that her headache was gone. "That is good, I'll make sure to prepare more soup for you later." She did need to keep eating after all to keep her strength up, and the maid was certain to make sure that Rose was well looked after, especially considering how odd Emory appeared earlier.

As she stepped within the room, temporarily putting aside the medicine on the nearby table so that she could make her way to the kitchen to begin brewing some tea, Rose's next words had nearly caused Viola to drop the bag of medication as her eyes grew wide, turning to look at Rose in surprise. Emory showing Rose personally around the grounds was certainly an oddity. The man never would go out of his way to do something like that unless he was forced to; it was then that Viola had recalled Emory's reddened face as she had stepped into the mansion earlier. Just what had happened between the two?

"I don't know what has gotten into Lord May," Her tone was shocked, her gaze turning away from Rose as she couldn't help but look toward the hallway, "Though... if I may, I did see him having a rather red face when I came in. Did.. did something happen between you two?" She almost dared to hope, perhaps a confession? Or maybe... maybe could she even imagine a kiss? The maid was quite the hopeless romantic, enthusiastic about romances blooming. Of course, she was well aware that Rose did have feelings toward Emory, but dare she think that those feelings would be reciprocated? Did she dare hope that the young lord's cold exterior was beginning to thaw?

 

[david tennant]

Rose kept her gaze on the other woman as she walked into the room. “You do not need to curtsy to me all of the time Viola. I can assure you that a regular greeting is okay.” She promised. She offered her a gentle smile, unable to help herself. It was clear that she enjoyed her company, especially since she didn’t want formalities surrounding her. “I truly appreciate it. You are a wonderful cook.” She spoke truthfully. She didn’t think that Emory complimented her often. She wanted to be able to let her know just how much she appreciated her. It was the polite thing to do. She watched the maid as she began to make her usual rounds. She then moved to take a seat at the vanity once again.

She turned her head when she heard the sound of something dropping. Something in Viola’s expression was much different than what she normally saw. Her question made sense though. “His face was flushed?” She inquired, almost not believing her words. She blinked, leaning back into the chair some. “Well, I promised him that I would tell him once I began to feel cold. We had been standing in the training grounds and I moved to stand a bit closer to him after I told him that I thought we should head back inside. I believe he tried to pull me into him as I moved. I tripped over my own feet and fell into him.” She explained.

“His hand was resting on my back and we stayed like that for a few moments. Of course I didn’t think he would think anything of it. After all, I know he would probably never want to be in the embrace of a woman again.” She was referring to what he told her the night before. Her tone was gentle as she spoke. “I recall blushing but I didn’t notice that he had been as well.” Her feelings for the young lord were growing more and more as the days continued to pass. “I am falling for him quickly Viola. I truly have never felt like this before towards anyone.” She knew she could trust in the maid to keep this between them. “He also stumbled over my name and suggested that I plant roses in the garden.”

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Viola's mouth had comically formed a small 'o' as Rose had recounted the day's events to her. Granted, the maid remained ignorant to the atrocities that Emory had went through in his early childhood years prior to his time in the estate, for him to allow Rose to come near to him - even if it was an accident, or even show his blushing face to anyone... It almost was a bit scary if she were to be completely honest, as she had never once seen the man smile or laugh, show any sort of emotion aside from rage or his usual neutral expression regarding everything and everyone around him. And to think, the man had been flustered enough to stumble over calling out the young woman's name, or even so much as suggest planting roses in the garden due to her namesake... perhaps his actions were speaking far louder than his own words, or even betraying what his heart was urging him to feel?

It was all speculation on Viola's part, but the woman couldn't help but take her surprise to change to enthusiasm as Rose had expressed that she was falling for the young lord. "Oh my, well I also must add that he still couldn't manage to say your name when I had came in. Perhaps he feels a bit more for you than he's willing to admit? At the very least... I hope he is." She sighed, trying to reign in her excitement. As much as she was absolutely thrilled that Emory was showing bits and pieces of more emotion toward Rose, she couldn't help but feel as if she couldn't - or rather - shouldn't say anything to push either of them to confess unless it was time for them to do so. Emory was a cold man, and Viola was uncertain how he would react to anything right now when it seemed like he could barely restrain his own facial expressions, no doubt after a life of restraint... she wondered how he will express himself more around Rose.

"As much as I want to urge you to confess, Lady Barclay... it is not my place to do so," Viola had placed the bag of medicine upon the nearby table, "Though, I do hope eventually Lord May opens his heart to you... I fear as if that maybe some time yet. If I can be honest... he's not in touch with his emotions at all, he is quite daft when it comes to that sort of thing." The maid clicked her tongue in clear disapproval, obviously displeased. But, there was nothing more that could be done but to trust that if things continued at the pace it was, perhaps maybe the man would fully open up to her. Shaking her head, a bright smile once more claimed Viola's face as she turned to face Rose, "Well, talks of romance aside, we can't very well make much progress if you're feeling unwell! I'll get to work on the soup and bring some tea." With that, the maid had left, her steps rather light it seemed with her own excitement as she disappeared down the hall and toward the stairs to set to work on taking care of Rose.

 

[david tennant]

Rose appreciated the enthusiasm that the maid showed when she spoke about her feelings towards Emory. She was well aware that it was not the time to let him know just how she felt towards him yet. She couldn’t even tell if Emory actually did feel anything like that towards her or not. Sure the young lord was blushing, but that could just be due to the fact that he was embarrassed with the situation. She knew that she must remain patient and careful for quite a long time before she decided to confess. At the very least, she needed to observe his behavior and see if he was indeed beginning to fall for her as well. “Maybe. I won’t push him in it though. I believe that if I just spend time with him, it will be enough for now. Eventually I will admit my feelings.” She was clearly worried that she would confess and they won’t be replicated. She didn’t want to live with the embarrassment.

An amused smile spread on her lips she Viola spoke. “ I am well aware that he is not in tune with his emotions. I am hoping to help him with that.” She spoke truthfully. It was not healthy to mask constantly like he did. Eventually your emotions will burst through and you won’t be able to control it. It would most likely end up being a bad thing due to rage slipping through. She nodded her head as the maid turned to leave. “Thank you Viola!” She called after her. Her smile fell once she was out of sight. A light sigh escaped her. Her mind was filled with anxieties about the situation at hand. What if Emory never did feel the same way towards her? What if he did, but was unable to realize that he was actually in love with her?

She shook her head lightly as she tried to clear them away. She slowly stood and moved to the window. She looked outside, eyes surveying what bits of the grounds she could see from her room. The sun was fully into the sky by then, the bits of clouds from the morning having gone. It was truly a beautiful day. She decided that she didn’t want to spend the entirety of it in her room. She could work on the interior of the mansion some. It wouldn’t put too much of a strain on her and it would help occupy her mind. She took the medicine that she had been given, wincing at the taste. It unfortunately never tasted the best. She then left her room, glancing at the walls as she passed.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

As Viola had walked down the stairs to the kitchen, the maid had stopped as she heard a distinctive knock on the mansion's front door. Confusion settled upon her face, usually there wasn't many visitors to the mansion at all aside for Lawrence's appearances... but even then the man usually came during the night. Approaching the door, the woman had opened the door cautiously and looked through the small crack that was provided at what appeared to be a messenger, "Is this Lord May's estate?" Viola had nodded her head, though soon a pleasant smelling letter was presented to her, which the maid took it, her eyebrows furrowing in a tinge of confusion at the elaborate crest of a shield as the messenger had spoke then, "It's an urgent matter from Duchess Gallovan." Viola's confusion only grew, what was the noble house of Gallovan doing reaching out to Emory? Perhaps it was another dirty job?

From what she could recall, the house of Gallovan was led by the current Duke Algerone Gallovan and his wife Eunice Gallovan; but considering Duke Algerone was a fierce loyalist to the crown, it made no sense for his wife to even show some remote interest in a rogue lord such as Emory. With a light frown upon her features, Viola had nodded her head to the messenger, taking one more bewildered look at the sweet smelling letter, a scent of lavender perfume wafting from the letter itself as she closed the door, looking up the stairway to where Emory's office was. No doubt the young lord was deep within his own work at this moment in time, but she supposed she would take it to him if it was an urgent matter. Maybe Emory was expecting this letter? So, the woman had then proceeded to walk up the stairway again and approached Emory's office, knocking gently on the door as she called out, "Lord May, I'm coming in." There was a muffled reply on the other side of the door, a signal that Viola could come in which the maid had stepped into the room as soon as she heard it.

Emory's gaze was fixated upon a document in his hand, and as Viola approached she had curtsied to the young lord, "Lord May, a messenger just came from House Gallovan-" The maid jumped as Emory suddenly had slammed the documents in his hands upon the table, the man's face becoming as pale as the sheet of papers he had in his hands. It was an expression she had never seen on his face before, "M-my Lord...?" The man didn't respond for a few seconds, only to shake his head and took in a breath as he raised a hand wordlessly to Viola, "Hand it over." There was a tension in his jaw, his body rigid as his golden eyes seemed far more piercing than usual. Swallowing nervously, Viola had handed over the sweet smelling letter over to Emory, promptly bowed to him again and left the office, many questions going through her head as she closed the door behind her. Emory never had personally met anyone from House Gallovan had he? She tried remembering his early years, but even then the noble house never had come in contact with him, in fact they were so far away from Emory's territory that there was certainly no possible way he was enemies with them or even knew them.

Shaking her head in bewilderment, Viola had stepped down the stairway and back to the kitchen, going about preparing another batch of soup for Rose as well as her tea and eventually after she was done, the maid had placed the items on a silver platter and walked up the stairs to Rose's room, knocking again upon the door for Rose to know that she was coming in although the expression on Viola's face was quite easy to read as she seemed quite troubled by Emory's now obviously odd behavior.

 

[david tennant]

Rose paused when she heard some muffled voices coming from the main door of the mansion. Her curiosity peeked as she moved to stand near the staircase. She leaned her head over to see if she could hear the conversation better that way. The only word she could make out was Gallovan. She recalled having met the Duke at one of her father’s balls before she had been married off. Confusion was clear on her expression as she tried to think why the name might be mentioned. She was well aware of the loyalties that the Duke had towards her father. Emory held the opposite values. She guessed that maybe the Duke heard of something and wished to speak to the young lord.

She blinked to clear her thoughts when she began to hear Viola’s footsteps heading towards the stairs. Her steps were swift as she moved to hide behind a corner. She leaned her head out far enough to where she could see where the maid was going. Viola walked directly to Emory’s office and stepped inside. She heard the slamming on the desk from where she stood. She flinched, moving her head to hide fully behind the corner then. She only looked once again when she heard the maid walk back down the stairs. The situation was growing even more complicated. Her curiosity was growing, as was her confusion. She hoped that Emory might mention something of his day at dinner. It would only be appropriate for her to ask about it after all.

A gentle sigh left her as she decided it would be best to head back to her room for now. She didn’t want it to seem like she had been sneaking around, even though she had been. She shut the door to her room behind her once she was inside. She then took a seat at the desk that she had. It wasn’t much later that she heard a knock at her door. She turned to see who it was, offering Viola a smile as she stepped in. “It smells wonderful.” She complimented. It was hard to ignore Viola’s expression. “Is everything alright Viola?” She inquired. She hoped that the maid might tell her about what happened. It would probably be easier to learn about it from her rather than from Emory. The lord was quite secretive.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Viola hesitated at Rose's question, though soon giving a wavering smile to her as she had set the silver platter on the nearby table, "Yes, well..." She trailed off, her hands clasping in front of her, as her eyebrows furrowed, "Lord May had the strangest reaction to when I had given him a letter from House Gallovan. He seemed quite pale, almost... what is the word?" She tapped her cheek, lost in thought before saying, "Disturbed. Though, I haven't have the slightest clue why. He never had interacted with anyone from the Gallovan family, and certainly not the Duke. But, the letter seemed quite odd too... perhaps the Duchess had contacted him instead?" A frown crossed her lips then as she shook her head, "Though, I don't think Lord May had ever spoken to Duchess Gallovan either." It was clearly a big mystery to the maid, and she certainly didn't seem to have a clue what was the reason for Emory's rather uncharacteristic behavior.

Meanwhile, in Emory's office, the man was bent over in his chair, a hand over his mouth as if he were nauseous. The eerily familiar smell of lavender made him sick, turning his stomach into knots as he couldn't stop staring at the unopened letter before him on his desk. That damned viper. A string of curses perhaps would leave his lips if he ever permitted himself to do so, but due to not wanting to draw attention to himself, with shaky hands the man had picked up the envelope, grimacing at the sweet smelling letter as he undid the seal and slipped the letter out, his eyes looking over the perfect flowery characters upon the paper as dread settled within him.

"It has been quite some time my little, adorable toy. I feel remorse to not have contacted you sooner, but it seemed as if your tracks had been carefully erased for so many years; it almost makes me think you had been avoiding me on purpose. You certainly know how to play with a woman's heart.

Though, I fear I write to you not out of desiring to play with you again. Instead, I hear that you are still quite the eligible bachelor, and my dearest daughter is ever in need of a proper suitor. What better way than to send her your way? Of course, she knows all about our relationship, and I assure you she is as enthusiastic as I was. Expect her to arrive a few days after this letter reaches you, and I do hope you respond favorably. You already are at odds with the king, and you know as well as I that my husband is quite close with him.
- Your Lovely Flower, Eunice"​

The man struggled not to gag, unable to stop the swarm of memories beginning to surge up within him. He could merely stare blankly at the letter, desperate hopes that it wasn't real beginning to die and wither as he forced himself away from it, grasping the letter and ripping it as violently as he possibly could, curses flying free from his lips as he couldn't control the impulse of knocking over his chair, the piece of furniture slamming into the wall behind him as he immediately stormed out of his room, covering his mouth again as his stomach heaved, rushing toward the bathroom and locking it behind him. It was then that one could hear gagging and retching, the poor man was unraveling, although he certainly wasn't going to allow either Viola or Rose to see him like this. It would take awhile for him to pull himself together again, but the memories of his early childhood were bursting at the seams, until all he could think about was that dreaded woman. And she had the nerve to force her daughter upon him now? When he inevitably regains his wits, no doubt the man will be furious, but for now his trauma was overwhelming him, not making him able to think properly.

 

[david tennant]

when i read your post, i legit yelled plot twist lmao i am so excited for this))

Rose kept her gaze on Viola as the maid set the platter down. The way the woman paused made her believe that maybe she wouldn’t tell her what occurred with Emory. That thought was quickly gone from her mind as she continued to speak. “That is quite peculiar.” She confessed. She bit lightly on her bottom lip as she planned her next words carefully. She didn’t want for the maid to know she had been spying around. “Duke Gallovan is loyal to my father. It would make no sense for Emory to be in contact with him. After all, the two are complete opposites when it comes to their beliefs.” She seemed to be pondering out loud, trying to come to a conclusion that might suit what was happening.

“It could be the Duchess. I am never one to talk down on others, but she is a snake. I have met her a few times before and I never did like her. She always seemed to be looking for trouble. Maybe Emory has business with her.” She offered the suggestion out there. “That is the only thing that comes to mind. Emory does deal with the black market quite a bit and I would not be surprised if the Duchess did as well.” She concluded, satisfied with her train of thought. It was the only logical explanation that she could come up with at the moment. She was hoping that nothing serious came of this situation. Things seemed to be finally turning towards the better in her relationship with Emory. She didn’t want for it to change.

“If you would like me to, I can ask him about it at dinner. I know you are not allowed to always speak as freely. I would have no issues with doing so. Besides, he is beginning to open up to me more. I want to be someone he consistently is able to confide in.” She explained. She looked towards her door when she heard the sound of slamming furniture. Her eyebrows furrowed at it, glancing towards Viola. “Perhaps I should talk to him after I finish my soup. That did not sound the best.” She spoke truthfully. She could handle Emory’s anger if he decided to get upset with her for asking about the situation. She dealt with much worse when it came to being married to Blaine. This would be a walk in the park to her.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

(lmao, glad you're excited!)

Viola had jumped at the sound of crashing furniture, looking over her shoulder toward the direction of Emory's office. Though she couldn't say that was unusual behavior, the man when he was enraged had a bad habit of taking out his frustrations on the poor furniture if there were anything nearby. Of course at Rose's words, the woman visibly grimaced as she had offered to talk to Emory after she had finished her soup, "Ah.. if you'd wish, though please be careful when you do-" She broke off as soon as she had heard Emory's heavy footsteps hurriedly retreating in the direction of the bathroom and the slamming of the door behind him which made Viola's face paled slightly. Just was was in the letter for Emory to react in such a manner?

Worry settled within Viola's eyes as she turned to Rose, "He can get a bit... bent out of shape when he's like this. Please, be careful." She couldn't help but express the distinct warning of being as careful as possible. Though, she was unaware of how sensitive the situation truly was. She had turned away, stepping out into the hallway though slowly approaching the bathroom. However, alarm flared in her chest as she heard the sound of retching. Was Emory ill? Immediately, she had hurried her steps and knocked upon the bathroom door, "Lord May! Lord May, are you alright?" She received no response but the continuous sound of Emory vomiting which caused the maid to become slightly more frantic, but before Viola could begin to even think of calling for the closest doctor, she heard heavy breathing on the other side of the door as his reached her ears, haggard and strained, "I..I'm fine. Leave me-" This too had been cut off midsentence as the sound of him vomiting again had made Viola back away from the door.

Considering his stubbornness, the maid's shoulders sagged as she turned away from the door and approached the office, peering inside. A frown graced her lips at the knocked over chair which had left quite the hole in the wall, as well as the letter which had been ripped up by Emory. "What had happened to make you react like this?" Of course, Viola wouldn't try to snoop. She knew better than to do so, knowing full well how terrifying Emory could be when he was enraged.

 

[david tennant]

i always love the extra angst ))

Rose could hear the familiar sound of Emory’s footsteps and then the slamming of a door. A gentle breath escaped her lips. She was hoping that everything was alright with him and that Duchess Gallovan hadn’t asked for him to do something terrible. But then again, Blaine asked for Emory to kill her and the lord hadn’t followed through with it. Maybe he could get out of it if he truly needed to. “I will be, I promise.” She tried to assure the maid. The worried look on Viola’s face was not helping her own worries. Her heart felt like it was clenched from the anxieties that were beginning to cross her mind. She cleared her throat lightly as she reached to take a sip from her tea cup.

“Blaine did as well. I am sure that Emory’s reaction won’t be any worse than his.” It was the only thing that she could think of to say that might ease Viola’s mind. She watched as she rushed from the room and down the hall. She moved to pick up her spoon, tasting the soup then. It was delicious as always. She only took a few spoonfuls before she paused. Everything in her was telling her to get up and follow after Viola. She didn’t want to crowd Emory though. She mumbled a few things underneath her breath before she stood. She followed after Viola, soon meeting her by the office door. It was then that she saw the chair overturned and the scattered pieces of ripped paper. She could smell the faint lavender perfume from where she stood.

It was then that she heard the vomiting. Her eyes widened in shock, almost unable to believe that Emory was physically ill from this letter. “Emory, are you alright?” She called through the bathroom door. She knew the other male would probably be quite upset with her worrying over him, but she did not care. She was just as stubborn as he was. She glanced at Viola mouthing, ‘Do you know what happened?’ She doubted the maid was able to get any information out of him, but it was worth asking about. Her expression had changed to one of concern then. She didn’t know just what to do to help with the situation. She didn’t want to step away and act as if nothing happened. It would only make her feel useless, which she hated.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Emory's body shivered as he was gasping for breath. The room felt as if it were spinning as the strength that would usually fill him was gone. Instead, now the young lord was curled up on the bathroom floor, his breathing uneven as he could almost feel that dreaded woman's hands on him again. His eyes closed tightly as he was struggling to hold onto any sense of calm he could possibly have left, though Rose's voice had finally broke through his clouded mind. Rose. Emory's eyes slowly opened as he looked to the door, his jaw clenching as he struggled to sit upright. He felt utterly pathetic, to unravel over a letter when the sender wasn't even in his general vicinity... what sort of man was he? Shame flooded through him as he felt his stomach continue to twist in anxious knots, his breathing remaining uneven as he struggled to make himself respond, "I'm.." Fine? No, he was far from fine. This much was obvious. There was no point in lying.

His hands came to his face as he struggled to calm his breathing, though eventually the man had stood up to wash out his mouth to at least get the taste of bile off from his tongue. Now that the initial wave of disgust had left him, all that was left was anger and frustration. He had thought that he could avoid that woman for the rest of his life. After all, when she had last come in contact with him, his surname had been "Barker", and his first name had never been given. So how did she...? My mother. Of course, why wouldn't he be surprised? Everyone in the nobility knew that the former Lord May had taken a commoner prostitute as his wife, it had caused quite the stir many years ago when his mother was still alive; and his mother always kept connections with any of her customers, even those who were customers to Emory. His teeth gritted together as his muscles coiled in anger, curses flying from his lips as he now took to pacing the length of the bathroom, eventually resulting in his fist angrily lashing out at the mirror, the shattering of glass sounding out as bits and pieces had lodged in his skin. However, the man didn't seem to react to the pain pulsing from his hand.

Viola looked to Rose as she mouthed to her if she knew what happened. The maid shook her head rapidly at Rose, though now determined to find what in the world could cause Emory to react so negatively. With some hesitation, she had went into the office and gingerly picked up some of the ripped up pieces of the letter, though her eyebrows furrowed at the flowery sign off of the sender. "-Flower, Eunice" . Considering the Gallovan family's Duchess was indeed Eunice Gallovan, to send such an odd ending to a letter, it seemed so familiar and almost affectionate. A frown crossed the maid's face as she stepped out from the office, although normally she would never snoop through Emory's belongings, this was the only exception. Silently, she held out the piece of paper to Rose, hoping that maybe the young woman would perhaps be able to get some sort of meaning out from it, though Viola certainly was clueless. However, the maid nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of the mirror shattering, "Lord May?!" The maid couldn't help the fearful exclamation to leave her lips, though it seemed she wasn't going to get an answer as all she could hear was the sound of Emory pacing on the other side of the door.

 

[david tennant]

Rose’s worry grew as she waited for any response that might come from the other side of the door. She couldn’t hear anything for a few moments. It didn’t help that Viola didn’t seem to know why this was occurring either. It was then that she heard Emory’s response. He sounded as if he was barely able to get the response out. He wasn’t even able to answer her question. That only made her stomach knot more. She looked to the maid, her concern clear at that moment. She watched as Viola walked back into the office and picked up a small scrap of the letter. She carefully reached out to take it form her once she came to her side. Her eyes scanned the two words on the paper when she finally made the connection.

The sound of the mirror shattering startled her from her thoughts. She tossed the piece of paper aside, knocking lightly on the door. “I am coming in Emory.” She announced. She knew that her entering the bathroom could go one of two ways. She was hoping for the more positive outcome of the two. Before Viola could stop her, she placed her hand on the doorknob and pushed it open. Normally she wouldn’t be so confrontational, but the situation was desperate. She eyes immediately fell to the pieces of broken glass scattered on the ground. She looked to the young lord quickly. His skin was pale and he was clearly distraught. She hadn’t seen him to this extent yet. She caught a glimpse of it when he recalled his childhood the night before, but this was so much worse.

Her eyes fell to his hand. “Oh my, you’re bleeding.” She gasped. She looked back to Viola. “Please get some cloth and water.” She urged. She was hoping the other male would allow her to attend to his wounds. She carefully stepped around the broken glass, stopping once she was in front of him. “Normally I would not snoop but I couldn’t help overhear about the Gallovans. I noticed it was from Eunice. I am sorry that she reached out. She has no right to.” Her tone was soothing. She was just trying to get the other male to calm down enough to allow her to properly treat his hand. “I know you are upset. Just please allow me to tend to your hand. It is bleeding badly. I could then get you some tea if you would like me to. You can always talk to me about it.”

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Emory had whipped around as the door had opened, almost about to shout for no one to open the door... but it was too late. His eyes dropped to the floor, expression contorting between anger and disgust as Rose had stopped before him, forcing him to finally meet her gaze. The words that left her lips put a bitter taste upon the man's tongue as he struggled to reign in his anger. Rose was not the person he was mad at, so he refused to lash out at her. His eyes closed as he sucked in a sharp breath, forcing himself to calm down enough, "...Very well." Emory normally wouldn't be so quick to agree to assistance, but for now the man was in distress. And as much as he wouldn't admit it, venting to Rose seemed more appealing than anything else. His golden eyes shifted up to see Viola fleeing from his sight, and the sound of her footsteps retreating down the stairs to no doubt retrieve some cloth and water as Rose had requested.

It was only now that he could somewhat control himself did he grimaced at the feeling of pain flaring up from his fist, shaking his head in exasperation as he stepped past Rose and stepped in the direction of his own room, perhaps for some privacy if he were to even begin venting freely to her. His office was a mess at the moment, though he knew Viola would clean it later even if he would insist on cleaning it for himself. With his uninjured hand, he grasped the doorknob to his room and turned, opening the door and stepping inside. Once he had stepped inside, he promptly sat on the edge of his bed, his shoulders sagging as his gaze fixated on his injured fist, blood dripping freely from the injury though he was now beginning to pick out pieces of glass that had lodged in his hand, not seeming too keen on speaking just a word yet, though he did tense up every time he pulled a piece of glass from his fist.

At this point, Viola had hurried back with cloth and water, placing the cloth and water near Emory's bedside table beside the vial of sleeping aid he had placed on there, though noticeably it didn't seemed to have been touched for a day. Only when Viola had left, did Emory silently gesture for Rose to sit at the chair that was in his room across from his bed, although aside from the necessary wardrobe, his room was noticeably bare... like everywhere else in the mansion. The click of the door closing behind Viola had made the man look to the door, waiting until her footsteps faded away in which he straightened up, discomfort in his expression as he finally spoke, "I... I don't know how she found me again. And she has the nerve to demand a favor from me when she knows damn well I should gut her like the spineless coward she is!" His sentence ended with his tone becoming frustrated as his right leg had began to shake, an anxious reaction as he chuckled, though there was no amusement in his tone, "A suitor to her damned daughter? Has she lost her mind? Damn it!" Emory's bloodied fist clenched, though he sucked in a sharp breath at the pain.

 

[david tennant]

Rose clearly didn’t seem bothered by the other male’s reaction to her entering the bathroom. She was only focused on his well-being at that moment. She could see the anger on his expression, realizing then that this was probably the angriest that she had ever seen him. She didn’t blame him though. He had every right to be upset at the current moment in time. She was relieved to hear that he would allow her to help him. She had been worried that he might tell her to retreat back to her room. It made her feel a bit better knowing that Emory trusted her enough to help him in this situation. The thought was enough to get rid of the extra anxiety that she was feeling at that moment in time. She glanced back at Viola’s retreating steps before she herself stepped aside to allow Emory to lead the way to his room. She hoped Viola would be able to clean up the broken mirror while they spoke.

She followed after him, pausing as she waited for him to open the door to his room. She was a bit surprised to see just how bare it was inside. She knew that she shouldn’t be though. The entire mansion was the same as his room. Her eyes fell upon the vial on the bedside table. She assumed that it was the liquid that he took every night to help him sleep. She noticed that it hadn’t been touched, but didn’t think much on it. The situation with Emory currently was too important for her to allow her thoughts to wander. She slowly moved to take a seat in the chair that he signaled for her to. Her eyes were focused on his hand. She planned to wait a few moments before she stood to try and help treat the wound. At least, she hoped Emory would allow her to do so.

She blinked as she heard his words. “She is demanding you marry her daughter?” She repeated, shock evident in her tone. She slowly stood and made her way towards the bedside table where Viola set the cloth and water down. “Allow me to tend to you. I know you are aggravated and your attention is elsewhere.” She reached out to lightly take his injured hand. She was careful to avoid touching the wound itself. She lifted it to make sure that there weren’t any pieces of glass stuck in it still. She then wet the cloth and began to carefully dab at the blood. “What if you were already engaged to be married? She couldn’t hold anything over your head then, especially if you acted as if you were engaged to me. We could keep up the facade long enough to deter her away. You wouldn’t have to marry that insufferable woman’s daughter then.” She suggested. It was the first thing that came to her mind.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Emory grimaced as Rose had taken hold of his hand, though he didn't pull his hand away from her either, allowing her to carefully dab at the wound. Her suggestion however had made the man laugh, though it was a bitter one as he shook his head at her immediately, "No. That won't be believable enough to fool anyone. And I seem to recall quite clearly you don't want to get yourself involved in another marriage scheme, I couldn't possibly ask that of you." Emory could recall Rose's words quite clear on the matter of faking to be engaged, that the next time she desired to be engaged it would be with someone she could guarantee would be with her till death. Emory would never force her into such an arrangement, even if it were for his benefit, and he was sure she wouldn't enjoy faking a relationship with him. He couldn't even properly fake affection himself. Besides, it would be incredibly difficult for anyone to believe that Emory was engaged to the fifth princess, especially trying to pass off such an engagement in front of a woman who lived quite close to the kingdom's nobility. It would cause a headache for him to deal with, even more so than dealing with Eunice's daughter.

"Even if we decide to go with that, it wouldn't work... not with that woman's daughter." His tone was firm as he said those words, though he looked away from her, his frown never fading from his face as he was lost in thought, though he was rightfully enraged, the man forced himself to regain some sense of composure. He was acting incredibly improper in front of Rose, and he needed to correct his behavior. Though, now his mind was settled on simply reacting as coldly as possible to the woman when she eventually came to his estate. Granted, a chill did go down his spine... if Eunice's daughter was as bad as her own mother, he did dread to think of what he would have to endure. Anxiety was quick to flood the man's chest as his breathing seemed to quicken ever so slightly, though his facial expression was now under his control again.

"I... apologize for causing you to worry on my behalf." His eyes dropped down to his injured hand that she was tending to, "My behavior was entirely improper. And you should be resting and trying to recover." He did feel a tinge of guilt, after all she was his guest and so far she had been witnessed to his lowest points. It wasn't a good impression on her, and she was ill on top of it. What sort of host was he to have a sick woman tend to his own injuries? At this thought, he abruptly removed his hand from her grasp, holding his injured hand closer to his chest as his expression now appeared calm... even if his eyes were anything but. Emory was withdrawing again, whether he realized it or not.

 

[david tennant]

Rose didn’t expect for the other male to laugh at her suggestion. It wasn’t a laugh that was filled with joy or humor. It was bitter and cold. She bit her bottom lip gently, adverting her gaze for a few moments. She had believed the idea to be a decent one. It would explain why she was at his estate in the first place. She would also be able to stand up for herself if it came to talking to the Duke and the Duchess. “You wouldn’t be asking it Emory. I am the one offering.” She corrected. She didn’t know why his words hurt to hear. She guessed it was because of the feelings that she felt towards him. His comment felt like a knife in a balloon. She did her best to not let it show, but her expression did seem a bit different.

“We will have to come up with a story as to why I am alive and not dead. After all, we did just go to my funeral not very long ago.” She pointed out. Her tone was a bit more flat that it normally would’ve been. She just kept her focus on tending to his hand. She had managed to get most of the blood that had been gushing to stop. The clear water in the bowl was now murky due to the blood. She placed the cloth she had been using down and reached for a dry one. She carefully wrapped it around his knuckles, holding it gently against them as she tried to get the remainder of the bleeding to stop. That was when he removed his hand from her grasp. His withdrawal hurt her even more.

She took a few steps back, lifting her gaze to meet his. “Withdrawing into yourself is only going to cause you more anxieties and issues. I assured you that you can speak with me freely as I want to help. Clearly you forget that Emory.” This was probably the harshest that she had ever spoken to him. It was clear that his words from before had triggered this. “But I will retreat to my room again, as you wish.” She turned and quickly left the room. She shut the door partly behind her, hurrying down the hall to her own bedroom. She shut the door once she was inside, moving to take a seat on her bed. She didn’t know what had gotten into her. Were her feelings that great that she couldn’t deal with the thought of him maybe not wanting to be with her romantically someday?

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Emory had not expected her to react so negatively to his words. Granted, the only sign he may have been perplexed by her response to his actions was his eyebrows furrowing... but he'd not noticed that he had been trying to withdraw from her again. Was it his way of subconsciously protecting himself? Nonetheless, it was a habit, a certainly difficult one for him to break. His guilt had compounded as Rose had spoken perhaps the harshest he had ever heard her say, now mutely watching as she soon quickly left. The man had reached out, almost as if to stop her, "Rose, wait-" But, the sentence never finished as the words died on his lips, staring now at empty space with bewilderment as clear as day in his eyes. He couldn't understand what he had said was wrong, and of course her health should come before anything else... just what had possibly hurt her?

Shaking his head, he heaved a heavy sigh as his gaze turned to his freshly wrapped knuckles, a frown crossing his face. The man never was good with his words, and it was undoubtable that he would not know the reason for Rose's rather hurt reaction until later. The man had no idea that she harbored any sort of feelings for him, rather thinking of her companionship as mere friendship as she had said earlier. Besides, Emory wasn't interested in settling down and marrying; if only due to the fact of his incessant fear of intimate touch, or rather any touch from the opposite sex at all. And it wasn't as if he could provide much on the emotional side either, as he wasn't even sure how to properly convey warmth or affection. All in all, aside from his position of power, he was incredibly undesirable as a potential marriage partner and had been content to be so for the rest of his days - but that certainly didn't mean that possibility couldn't change, though he certainly was digging his heels in, especially due to the unwanted situation he had to deal with now.

His uninjured hand came up to his face as he merely remained sitting upon his bed, a tired sigh leaving his lips. As angry as he had been, now all that was left was an exhaustion that filled him from head to toe. There was no use agonizing on what words he could have said to Rose, what had been done was done. Though he had no clue how to possibly approach her after this, such thoughts would have to wait. Rose needed her rest, and he... he needed to think and plan accordingly. But, Emory didn't feel too optimistic, as practically anything could happen as soon as the Duchess's daughter arrived. One thing was certain, this would inevitably be a major headache that he needed to deal with and do so personally.

 

[david tennant]

Rose stared at the wall in front of her, not noticing as some tears began to fall down her cheeks. She didn’t know why his words had affected her so much. There should be no reason for it. She guessed that she had fallen for him a lot harder than she realized before. It was only then that she noticed she began to cry. She lifted up a shaky hand to lightly wipe at her tears. She found herself to be quite pathetic at the current moment in time. Why would she allow for her feelings to get the best of her then? She had done such a good job at hiding them around Emory before. She doubted the young lord had even known that she harbored feelings for him. He seemed to be completely oblivious to the fact.

She shook her head lightly, slowly standing. The tears still slowly fell as she walked to the wardrobe. She pulled on a few extra layers, letting her hair down from the bun it had been in. She couldn’t sit in her room at this moment in time. She needed to get out to clear her head. She moved to carefully grab the tray Viola brought her earlier. The soup had barely been touched, but she had finished the tea. She then made her way out of her bedroom and down towards the kitchen. She placed the tray down on one of the prep tables when she was there. She took a deep breath to compose herself. She figured that she should at least tell Viola where she was going.

She left the kitchen promptly, spotting the maid out of the corner of her eye. She hurried over to her, pausing when she was in front of her. “I just wanted to inform you that I am going to be going for a walk. I apologize for not finishing my lunch, but my appetite has been unfortunately ruined. I will be eating dinner in my room tonight.” She informed. Her usual cheery disposition was gone. “I will see you later.” Without another word, she turned and moved towards the front door on the mansion. She was soon through it and on her way. She had no clue where she desired to go. Maybe she would head into the town that Emory had control of. It would be a change of scenery and give her something to do. She sniffled, realizing her tears had caused for her nose to become even more congested. She didn’t bother with it though, just keeping her eyes focused ahead.

 

[david tennant]

small bump c: ))

 

[LONELYRAIN]

Viola's expression was bewildered as she looked up toward Rose as she had passed by, though her words caused the maid to become even more so confused and concerned. Wasn't Rose ill? She shouldn't be running about by her own, especially without someone to escort her. "L-Lady Barclay, are you sure-" Of course, the maid's sentence was cut short as Rose had went out of the door to the mansion, and with the solid thud of the door closing the maid's bewilderment grown as she wrung her hands, eyebrows furrowing as she whispered, "What happened?" Of course, Viola had no clue what had happened between Rose and Emory, it seemed like earlier things between the two were going relatively smoothly. However, the sight of seeing Rose being rather upset had caused the older woman to fret as she cast a glance toward the direction of the stairs. Lord May, what did you do?

...​

Outside of the mansion it was relatively peaceful and sunny day, nor did a single cloud seem to the darken the skies. If one were to talk to the nearest town, it was here that the town known as Dusk's Respite was located. It was a relatively relaxed, sleepy town on most days with the local church having strong religious ties to the region's patron goddess known as Azeya, though not all of the citizens were devote followers of Azeya, as Emory had allowed the people to have freedom of religious choice. Regardless, Azeya's symbol could be seen scattered about the town as majority of the older population heeded the goddess's teachings. Other than the Azeya church's influence, the town also had a relatively active marketplace which received traders from far and wide. Whether it was from the kingdom or places far beyond, it was here that the townspeople mingled with cultures outside of their own, selling goods and exchanging traveling stories with one another. However, it was rare indeed to receive visitors from any noble status since most nobles who were not rogue lords like Emory were already allied to the crown. So, the marketplace was certainly abuzz with activity as an elegant carriage was parked right outside of the town's local tavern.

Excited whispers floated from one person to another, some having spotted the beautiful noblewoman that was inside the carriage. Others seemed perplexed, as the town didn't have much to attract visitors, while still others seemed to not want to have anything to do with the noblewoman due to the obvious distrust that the general population had to nobles potentially allied with the kingdom, and the carriage certainly screamed "allied with the crown". The crest upon the carriage would be a rather familiar sight of the Gallovan family, a unicorn's head in the foreground with a sword in the background. From the carriage, the noblewoman emerged, her pale face seeming just slightly more pale as her painted red lips were turned in a tight frown, lightly fanning her face as she looked to the tavern, her manservant bowing to the woman as she stretched out her hand for him to take, "How long must I wait in this... tavern? I want to see the man that captured mother's heart at once." The man hesitated then whispered, "M'lady, the letter was only just delivered recently, I fear you must wait a day longer or- a-ah." The man's voice wavered toward the end as the woman's light blue eyes turned to look at the servant with distain, "A day or longer? Is that what you said?" The servant swallowed as he lowered his gaze, "Y-yes... Lady Gallovan."

 

[david tennant]

Rose ignored the words that Viola spoke to her as she hurried through the door. She was sure the maid might be able to offer her a few words of comfort, but she did not want to stick around the hear them. She needed to get away from the mansion for a few. She had no clue as to why the situation made her so upset. Yes, her feelings for Emory were clear but she normally never made a fool of herself like this. She was raised to be composed around men. Maybe her skills were weakening as she aged. After all, her prior marriage hadn’t done her any good. She reached a hand up to wipe at the tears that feel freely down her cheeks, trying to move her mind onto different things. It would do her no good to continuously overthink the situation.

She followed a worn path as she assumed it would lead her towards the town that was under Emory’s control. She didn’t seem to care that her face was there for anyone to recognize if they would. She doubted anyone would believe the rumors of the supposedly deceased princess being alive in this far region. She shoved one hand into a pocket, fiddling with the coin purse inside. She figured she had plenty to get some tea, or something stronger, and to browse the markets. Normally she would be ecstatic at the prospect of decorating the mansion, but there was to be a new woman entering. There was no reason for her to plan any further.

Her worries began to claw at her mind once more. Where would she go? Emory wouldn’t surely allow her to stay at the mansion. Would he have her killed like he was originally tasked with? She would welcome death if it came to it. There wasn’t anyone else who would mourn her.

After what felt like hours of walking, she finally made her way into the town. She was quick to spot the familiar carriage outside of one of the buildings. She would recognize the crest anywhere. The Gallovan family visited the castle quite often and she was rather familiar with them. She paused, wondering if there would be any way for her to avoid a confrontation. It didn’t seem plausible, especially since her first destination was the tavern. “I might as well get this done with.” She muttered, shaking her head lightly as she continued to walk. It wasn’t too long until she was right at the front of the carriage. She hoped there wouldn’t be any recognition as she reached for the front door of the tavern.

 

[LONELYRAIN]

A sigh left the woman's lips, her expression displeased for a single moment as she had flicked the fan close and lowered the fan to her side. "Absolutely unacceptable, as if I'll wait to..." Her sentence trailed off as her gaze landed upon Rose, eyebrows furrowing as the woman had reached for the front door. Of course, normally the woman would immediately have the other begging for forgiveness for even so much as rudely stepping in front of her, but it wasn't as if she should cause much of a commotion now with a crowd watching her. She no longer was within the reach of the kingdom, here her family had no power, so by extension she didn't have any either. She needed to be careful. Besides, if she was to become wed to Emory anyways, she needed to gain some reputation with the people here regardless.

Stepping forward, the young woman plastered a soft smile upon her face as she stepped forward toward Rose, "Excuse me," Her words were spoken sickeningly sweet, obviously fake by the way her eyes were looking at Rose as if she were a bug that had crawled in front of her. Upon closer inspection, the young lady was certainly almost a carbon copy of her father, sharing her father's auburn hair and piercing eyes, with the rest of her features mimicking Eunice's, being a soft feminine appearance. A pleasant face indeed, even if her eyes certainly were looking at Rose with distaste, "Do you perhaps know this area well? I was wondering where the lord's manor is... oh?" The woman's expression seemed confused for a moment as she peered closely at Rose, "Do I... know you?"

For some reason the woman seemed oddly familiar, although she couldn't remember where exactly she saw her before. Was it in the kingdom perhaps? No, it couldn't be. After all, the closest person this woman could possibly resemble was one of the princesses, but she knew quite well that the fifth princess was dead. There was a funeral she had been forced to attend to after all, so the woman immediately tossed the thought aside. That was foolish of her to think, especially with how haggard this commoner appeared to be. Certainly not like the royals that her family pledged their loyalty to.

 

[david tennant]

Rose’s hand rested on the doorknob as she heard the sweet tone of the other woman. It was enough to make her roll her eyes. She had never been fond of the Gallovans. The father has always been close to her father, but the wife and children were dirty. She wouldn’t trust any of them. She could at least understand where Emory was coming from with that. She slowly turned to face the woman, her gaze giving nothing away. She still held her head higher than one of a common background would. Her dress and overcoat was made of finer cloth compared to those within the village as well. The details were there to be connected. She doubted the woman had the intelligence to connect them though.

“I know pieces of the area. I am sure that you are used to getting your way with many people due to your status, but you have no authority here. I suggest you adjust your gaze and your attitude before you continue your adventures here.” Her tone was elegant and lighter, despite the nasally sound due to her cold. She nose was still rather stuffed and it wouldn’t get any better with her being out for the day. She would prefer to feel worse rather than to be stuck in the mansion with Emory for the time being. “You do know me. I won’t speak my name, but I am sure you will figure it out if you think long enough on it.” Normally she would try to be as kind as possible, but something shifted in her demeanor.

“If you would excuse me,” She didn’t elaborate any further as she turned back to face the tavern. She grabbed the handle, turning it before she stepped inside. The walls helped protect the interior from the chill of the winter. She glanced around, noticing a fire in a rather large fireplace. She made her way to the counter. “Pardon me, do you have any tea? If not I will have whatever you suggest.” Her tone had softened back to what it was normally. There was no reason for her to be rude to the townspeople. She was supposed to be the one taking over this area eventually for Emory. That was changing now though.