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#Post#: 934--------------------------------------------------
Kindled Embers (Asena & Septimus) [Y1057]
By: Kimcora Date: June 10, 2020, 11:24 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
The carriage ride away from the debate hall was the longest ride
Asena had ever experienced. The world around Asena felt like a
muffled cacophony of noise and shapes, all indistinct and
dizzyingly unpredictable. It was like she was caught in a
windstorm on the outside, while a calm settled on the inside.
No, calm wasn't the right word...She felt numb, cold, detached
from her reality. It was easier to let the knowledge of Damon's
death stay locked inside her mind, tucked away in this box that
she didn't dare open. Not in a closed space with people she
cared about. She knew that her control over her Magis couldn't
handle that rush of emotion she knew was waiting just below the
surface. It was better to just remain calm and get herself away
from the other. So Asena put on a mask, rode in silence with the
others, and kept her eyes on the scenery outside while they
spoke. One person made the mistake of asking if she was alright,
which earned them a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Obviously,
anyone sitting near to her would feel the uptick in heat around
her. Unable to get her voice to work, she simply nodded before
turning her attention back to the window.
By the time they arrived back at the Black Trout Inn, Asena left
the others to go to her own space. She stopped briefly by the
bar and plucked a bottle of their strongest stuff, knowing she
would need it to numb what was bubbling to the surface. The
closer she got to her door, the more she felt her control slip.
It was too the point she jogged down the hall to her door,
shutting it behind her. Asena leaned her back against the door,
shutting her eyes as she centered herself and tried to hold it
all in. She was strong...she was Asena Valda...She couldn't let
this break her...too many people relied on her...she needed to
get over herself and focus on the mission...she needed to stop
thinking about Damon's face....she couldn't wish he was there to
hold her...She had to stop hearing his words of care and love
cutting deep gashes into her heart….She felt a whimper escape
her that she tried to choke back with but failed with the
quickly thickening feeling in her throat. Her whole body felt
suddenly light and shaky, like she couldn't support herself. She
tried to move away from the door to get to her bed, but stumbled
over her shaky legs. She almost made it to the safety of the
sheets when she heard something metallic hit the floor.
Instantly her misty eyes flicked to the object bouncing on the
ground and watched in horror as Damon's wedding ring rolled away
from her.
In a show of desperation, she let the bottle of booze clatter to
the floor as she hit the floor on her knees, scrambling after
it. By the time she caught the ring, she brought it close to her
heart in a closed fist as quick shaky breaths escaped her. The
room was uncomfortably empty and desperately silent as her
breathing got under control. It was there, on the floor, with a
ring feeling uncomfortably heavy in her palm, and the silence
surrounding her that Asena broke. A deep, mournful sob escaped
her as the floodgates on her emotions snapped under the weight
building inside her. Like a successful punch to the gut, Asena
doubled over as her sobs wracked her body. It all hit her at
once, burying her in the grief that she felt like she was
drowning in and unable to surface. It was a while before
coherent thoughts came to her from the darkness, ones that
whispered cruel messages to her.
Damon was gone. Torn out of her life swiftly and brutally
without chance to understand. The man that had been her best
friend, her first and only love, her reason, her safety, her
start, and her future. It all just was gone. Crumbling in her
hands like ashes. The ashes that were all that was left of the
man she loved. Had she been there she would have saved him or
died with him trying. Damon would be here with her and not--He
was dead--He died alone and probably scared...It was her fault
he was dead--Gabrielle killed him because of her. She failed
him.
The realization of his death and her part in it hit her like a
slap to the face, one that made her swipe at her face to try and
stop the tears. She didn’t deserve to mourn him, not when this
was her fault--But much to her misery, her weeping grew louder,
until it morphed into enraged growls and screams. Through the
tears she glared at the door, where everyone outside was waiting
for her to be their candidate. And out there was Gabrielle.
All the anger and grief crescendoed inside of her causing scorch
marks to form on the floor around her as heat rolled off her in
waves. She grit her teeth hard in a snarl before grabbing the
sword Damon made her on her hip, gripping it hard in her hands.
“How dare you!” She screeched, throwing the blade away from her
and causing it to clatter away from her. She wasn’t sure whether
those words were meant for Gabrielle for taking him from her,
Damon for dying on her, or herself for failing to protect him.
Either way, it left her shouting out her agony before she
finally had to quiet herself because her voice was hoarse and
her throat burned to the point she knew her voice would be gone
tomorrow. She had to stop her emotions from getting out of
control and she burned this whole place down. That meant numbing
them with a little extra help.
With some effort, she dragged her weeping self over to the
bottle and curled herself in the corner of the room furthest
from the blade. The alcohol did little at first to calm the
storm inside her, but over time she began to feel the numbness
creeping back in. So she drank more, hoping to punish herself
and drown out the sorrow before it attacked her again. She
wasn’t sure how long she was on the floor drinking, but she did
hear her door opening. “F*ck off. I’m fine.” She hoarsely
growled from where her head was buried in her knees to stop the
room from spinning...
#Post#: 936--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chapter 1.65: Kindled Embers (Asena & Septimus) [Y1057]
By: unknownmercury Date: June 11, 2020, 1:21 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Septimus stayed quiet for much of the carriage ride, though he
did make the mistake of asking Asena if she was okay and got a
well-earned glare in response. Of course she wasn't okay.
Septimus hadn't had any meaningful interaction with this Damon
fellow, but he had seen Asena when she'd seen the man at the
banquet, and her face when Gabrielle had made her opening
remarks...
Septimus knew that pain. His whole family was gone, and he still
sometimes found himself weeping over the loss. A fresh wound
like this... No, Asena Valda was not "okay." When they got back
to the inn, Asena was quick to depart the group and go upstairs.
Septimus sighed. He knew she was suffering, but it still would
have been good to go over the highlights of the debate, discuss
future steps to ensure that the words Asena had spoken tonight
would spread and boost her to the Truce.
Instead, the men (and Aidene) talked for a bit about the event,
without any progress in the actual campaign. Septimus quietly
excused himself amidst the conversation and made his way up the
stairs. He knew where Asena stayed, though he'd never been in
the room itself. Still, if there had been any doubt it would
have been quashed by the anguished sobs coming from behind the
closed door. He tentatively knocked, but got no response.
Panic took him over. She was older than him, but he was far more
jaded. To have a love -- possibly the love of her life -- ripped
away from her in a bid for power by a zealot could very well
lead to her doing something drastic. He tried the knob and found
the door unlocked. He stepped in to see Asena curled in the
corner around a bottle of booze. "F*ck off. I'm fine." She
growled the words at him, making them almost unintelligible with
the slur from the drink.
Septimus quietly made his way over and lowered himself to the
floor beside her. "D'ya need anything?" he asked softly. "Food?
Water? I'll even hold onto a bucket for you if you need t' purge
some of that drink from your system." He knew this game. Drink
til you passed out or threw up, maybe both, and then possibly
keep drinking.
"I'm sorry about Damon," he said after a moment of quiet. "I
didn't know him, but you clearly loved him dearly. I'm sorry for
that pain."
#Post#: 950--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chapter 1.65: Kindled Embers (Asena & Septimus) [Y1057]
By: Kimcora Date: June 11, 2020, 1:22 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Asena lifted her head from her knees and looked at none other
than Septimus. What? Was he there to tell her more pointers on
the debate? Was he there to say she could have done better? She
tried to follow the pointers they had discussed together before,
even if inside her heart was breaking just looking out at the
crowd and knowing the face she wanted to see wouldn’t be there.
Well, Asena didn’t want to talk politics, neither did she want
to ruminate on how this death would fuel her to do better in the
election, as Melrose had told her before she went on stage after
she showed a moment of weakness to Gabrielle. Should she even
run for the Truce anymore...? So far she had made so many
mistakes and someone was now dead...what if she got people like
Septimus killed because of her optimistic hopes of helping
others? That pain resurfaced strangely and she took another pull
from the bottle to numb that new scar.
When Asena was sad, she got angry and it was obvious by the way
she glared at Septimus that she was still very much caught in
her grief. Yet, the alcohol made her lips looser than if she was
sober.
When he knelt by her and asked if she needed anything, she gave
a scoff.
“I told you I’m fine. Do you not speak Duthl? Verstehst du
Deutsch? Est-ce que tu parles français?” The accent for the
German and French was butchered by her own accent and the
slurring, but the words were there, courtesy of some training.
However, the harshness of her tone made her withdraw, lips
tightening as he went on to tell her he would hold a bucket for
her. That did stir a nauseous feeling from her dizziness, but
she held it down by instead focusing on the floor.
“I said I was fine.” She repeated but the words felt hollow. The
emptiness there made her lip tremble, but she kept back the
tears with a sniffle. She couldn’t cry in front of Septimus. He
put so much faith in her helping him get his school that it
would surely make him think less of her. But Asena felt broken
under the weight of it all and something in her wanted
desperately for someone to be there. So she didn’t feel so
alone.
When Septimus spoke about Damon, it felt like the knife dug in
deeper and the strong front she was trying to hold snapped. Her
shoulders shook from effort not to cry, but she lifted her head
some, looking toward the man that had no business being this
kind toward her. She had caused them so much grief and yet he
made her want to talk more with him. It was odd as Asena had
been trying to push him away, but found her barrier coming down
a little at his presence.
“I did love him...or at least I thought I did...” She said to
fill the silence after a moment. All the past tense was killing
her, but her mouth kept spilling her thoughts that bubbled to
the surface.
“My campaign was more important than him... If I’d gone to see
him that night I could have told him not to stay with Gabrielle.
I stayed and talked about the stupid debate instead. He was
doing all of it for me, to help me, even if I begged him not
to... I should have saved him.” She said, her voice becoming
softer as she started losing her composure. “I always used to
think I had to save him. It used to p*ss him off that I would
get involved in all his problems. But I did it anyways because I
was so scared of something happening to him. Of the world taking
someone so kind and good like Damon away. I protected him—Except
for once—I told him I’d never let Embra hurt him again. Oh
Torgar—“ She choked on the words as tears began to slip down her
cheeks again. Once the flood gates were open, she was having
such a hard time closing them again. Septimus probably saw her
as weak, damaged, pitiful. It’s how she felt even if she knew it
must not have been true...
Asena’s temper got the better of her and her impulsivity got the
better of her. Gabrielle killed Damon and she was going to make
her pay. She would go there now and incinerate her into a pile
of ash, her and her whole party. Be damned the consequences! She
was done playing by the rules when it only caused people she
cared about to die.
“I’m sorry... Your fearless leader is reduced to shambles by
that spiteful b*tch. I’ll show her spiteful when I run that
sword through her skull. ” She growled, as she went to get to
her feet but the room pitched at her quick movement and she
slipped back onto her butt. An angry groan left her as she
glared at the floor, trying to will her coordination back. “I’m
going to make her pay for killing him. They won’t even find the
**** ashes.” She hissed, but her voice wavered. She tensed at
how cruel she sounded. Was that really what Asena had been
reduced to? She swore to Torgar that she would get revenge on
Embra and people like Gabrielle...but was it right? Right and
wrong flew out the window when she was hurting...but she
couldn’t help but feel guilty about it.
#Post#: 951--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chapter 1.65: Kindled Embers (Asena & Septimus) [Y1057]
By: unknownmercury Date: June 11, 2020, 1:43 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Septimus was silent through Asena's speech. When she started to
stand, he shifted. When she fell, he reached a hand out to try
and lessen the impact of the fall. With a sigh, he shook his
head. "I don't think you will. I've seen you in battle, and
there's no doubt you could overpower the scrawny b*tch and run
her through, but... Could you actually? If she personally killed
Damon, then she probably had help doing it. If you went and drew
your sword while she was alone in her apartment or soaking in
the bath, she wouldn't even be able to fight back against you, I
don't think. Would you be able to swing the sword on someone who
couldn't defend herself?"
The answer was clear to Septimus. If Asena could kill a helpless
person -- nevermind Gabrielle's Heli, Asena could fight past
that -- then she wouldn't be Asena. She wouldn't be the
candidate for the people, or the one that had rallied the group
sitting downstairs. Septimus leaned his head back against the
wall and sighed. "Do you want some company? We... don't have any
events in the next few days." A slight lie; he'd been planning
to have her make small public appearances, opportunities for the
people to approach and talk with her about various issues. It
didn't matter anymore. "If you need to get away from things for
a while and just grieve and relax, I can put you up in my guest
quarters."
#Post#: 952--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chapter 1.65: Kindled Embers (Asena & Septimus) [Y1057]
By: Kimcora Date: June 11, 2020, 2:56 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Asena felt the hand catch her, but she wasn't able to pull away
from the touch. In fact, it felt a bit nice to have contact.
Even if the nice feeling from the contact was soured by his
response. Septimus's analysis of her plans to end Gabrielle made
Asena's jaw clench as she squinted at him. She could feel heat
rising in her and knew it was a sign that she was angry. While
she didn't like his words, they made more sense than she liked
to admit. He was right...While in the moment vengeance felt like
it would make her feel better, she knew in her heart that she
couldn't do it. She couldn't slaughter Gabrielle who may not
have even killed the man. And what would that gain? Sure that
evil zealot would be gone...but Damon would still be dead and
Asena would be executed for killing her. Gabrielle may have
deserved death, but could Asena handle being the one dispensing
that cold justice...As a child she would have blindly agreed, as
she had when she turned the foreman that killed her parents to
ash. But that act of violence had only sought to make her strive
to do better and never let herself be blinded by that darkness
again. And she wouldn't let Gabrielle drag her there either...
A heavy sigh pulled through her and Asena swallowed hard to
clear her throat. "Stop being right all the time. Fancy pants,
know it all." She grumbled, getting as comfortable as she could
against the wall. She felt her eyelids fall shut, her mind
trying to block all of this out. She felt so helpless in this
situation and unable to find the right solution on what to do.
She knew she couldn't wallow in grief forever...but she didn't
feel like she had the strength to get up at the moment. It was
shameful of her to be this selfish...
The offer of company drew the drunk woman's head to swivel in
his direction, brows furrowing in confusion. Had she heard him
right? Was Septimus offering to deal with her? She watched him
for any sign that he was reluctant, but instead found that he
was serious. Even if the statement about not having any events
was a bold faced lie. They spoke about campaigning more before
the election, after the debate to spread her message a bit more.
But she appreciated his effort at easing her mind and making her
feel like she had time to cope with this.
However, the news that he wanted to invite her to stay with him
in his guest quarters made her blink in surprise. She didn't
think she had ever been to Septimus's estate nor had she
expected him to want to shut himself up in a house with a
grieving woman. That didn't seem fair to him...but did Asena
have the selflessness to deny him. No...She felt like being
selfish and if having someone there to soothe something in her
that felt like it needed healing, she would take it.
She nodded but the movement made the room tilt and spin again.
Asena leaned a little to help, but that caused her to fall over
a little. She caught herself by gripping Septimus's shoulder and
squeezing her eyes shut briefly. The warmth coming off the man
was something she was craving and her drunk mind told her she
should chase it. Without regard for his personal space, Asena
curled close to Septimus, resting her head on his shoulder. She
felt so lightheaded, but her eyes felt heavy, like she wanted
nothing more than just to sleep. Her eyes fluttered as she
grumbled "I don't know how to make it stop hurting." before she
gave another heavy breath out. "I would like that. The company
and the time away I mean...Only with you though. I don't know if
I want the others seeing me like this...Uncle worries too much."
She said with a light frown before she nuzzled closer. Deep
down, she felt a bit embarrassed for doing this and it caused a
new wave of pinkness to rise to her cheeks in a drunk flush.
"First, a nap though. Too tired for
a...sleep...over...Thanks..." She shut her eyes and felt herself
slipping further and further down into a deeper state of
unconsciousness, surprisingly comfortable with the man there
next to her.
((Figured that would give you room to skip to the next day or
sometime in the future when she's more coherent.))
#Post#: 953--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chapter 1.65: Kindled Embers (Asena & Septimus) [Y1057]
By: guest2 Date: June 11, 2020, 3:32 pm
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[table]
[tr][td]
HTML https://i.imgur.com/BtT9ve3s.jpg[/td]
[td]Melrose Meghan.
Valda Residence.
Accompanying Konsole Hawe.
[/td][/tr][/table]
▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂&
#9602;▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂&#
9602;▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂	
602;▂▂▂▂▂▂▂[size=9pt]
"Ahh, you will simply adore her..." Melrose stated to his new
assistant. Konsole was his name. Hired due to the shadowy
talents that the young man had shown to Melrose, he had been
looking for someone he trusted more than Farren, himself. Though
he had kept it to himself, Melrose had a twist in his gut
whenever it came to Farren. He was a quiet man, and cute at
that; but he was not quite as trustworthy as Asena had deemed
him. Melrose was a suspicious person in general, and preferred
to have his own fingers sown into whatever contacts he had.
He also had to discipline Elissac. Given the occurrences of the
banquet and of what Melrose deemed as a lack of fulfilling his
job, he was hesitant to allow only Elissac to guard Asena. Not
that he held anything against him since Melrose understood the
chaotic times, but since then he has relinquished Elissac of
some responsibilities; or rather relinquished him of being the
sole bodyguard of Asena. Now there was Konsole. Not to
necessarily be her bodyguard but a guardian hidden in shadow,
Konsole was to also gain information in whatever way he saw fit
for the benefit of Melrose.
Konsole, being a younger male just past his teenage years of
pale complexion; was silent and obedient. He had been grown to
respect authority, and this was going to be a new job for the
lad. He simply could not pass up the benefit of working for Lady
Valda. After-all, he had heard of the unfortunate circumstances
surrounding the Banquet, and this interested Konsole. He was
hesitant at first, but was easily convinced by Melrose after the
benefits Melrose revealed to working under him and Lady Valda.
After he turned the handle leading to the upstairs of Valda's
quarters, he nearly stepped through but paused in his steps.
Konsole also remained silent, but peered over Melrose's shoulder
in attempt to see why he paused. Melrose blinked behind his
mask, seeing his Lady cuddled up to none other than Septimus
Vianacelli. Well, at-least he was in the same candidate group,
he supposed.. regardless, he cleared his throat and bowed out as
Asena began to notice Melrose, and perhaps Konsole.
He closed the door behind him, then turned to Konsole. Silent
for a moment, he cleared his throat again and clasped both hands
behind his back and continued past Konsole.
"We will have to reschedule this meeting, Konsole, for you to
meet our Lady." With that, Konsole blinked a few times before
glimpsing at the door and following Melrose back downstairs. He
had expected her to be awake and dressed at this moment. As was
typical in the schedule Melrose had formulated in his mind.. but
oh how often he had forgotten that Lady Asena was still a young
woman, without husband.
#Post#: 955--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chapter 1.65: Kindled Embers (Asena & Septimus) [Y1057]
By: unknownmercury Date: June 11, 2020, 7:01 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Septimus chuckled a bit when Asena passed out while leaning on
him. He took the bottle gently from her hands and stoppered it
before relaxing his head and closing his eyes. He drifted in and
out of consciousness; he hadn't slept on the floor or propped
against a wall since he was young.
At one point the door opened and Melrose half-stepped inside.
Septimus put a finger to his lips, and the Dweller left.
Septimus smiled. Hopefully the man wouldn't kick up a fuss.
Asena and Septimus were both fully clothed and nothing untoward
was going on here.
Morning came, the sun peeking into the room to rouse the pair.
Septimus slowly shifted, trying to disengage from the sleeping
woman without waking her. He knew that she would likely have a
massive hangover. If he could slip downstairs and get some water
and some greasy bacon and eggs, then he would probably be her
new favorite person for a while.
#Post#: 958--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chapter 1.65: Kindled Embers (Asena & Septimus) [Y1057]
By: Kimcora Date: June 11, 2020, 9:01 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
When the door opened, Asena stirred but was hardly awake. She
just made this little grumble sound that wasn't really words.
Her eyes opened, but the instantly shut again when her eyes
found the light. It was painful and she could already feel her
head throbbing and her stomach clenching at the mere feeling.
She nestled in closer to the warm body next to her as he was
comfortable.
By the time she woke up, it was pushing on the late morning and
Asena looked quite pale. She stirred from her place on the floor
and noted that she felt sore, stiff, and like her mouth was as
dry as sandpaper. Not to mention her head pounded almost like
someone was knocking against her skull. She gave a pitiful
groan, one that subsided only when she glanced around and found
she was alone. Hadn't someone been in the room with her? She
wiped her eyes to help them stop burning and aching from the
sunlight, shortly before she looked and saw the half drank
bottle on the floor. That was the culprit of her blackout...but
who had come to deal with her? Maybe Melrose? She would have to
apologize then. He didn't deserve to be be having to take care
of a grown woman.
She got to her feet and shuffled to a nearby area where a basin
was. She began washing her face to help clear some of the sleep
from it and help her wake up. However, she paused when she
looked down at her hands and found Damon's ring on her finger.
It brought back up the memories, the emotions, and the grief all
in one sweep and made her stomach clench. That triggered the
nausea and sent Asena stumbling for a nearby bucket someone had
the forethought to place nearby. After she was done, she cleaned
up her mouth and face again. She settled for changing into a
simple shirt and pants before stumbling her way to the bed.
Asena knew she would be out of commission for the day, so she
didn't bother with the fact she looked like a frumpy mess. As
she bedded down in the sheets, she heard the door open and
smelled something pleasant reaching her nose. It drew her up
from the bed with a little groan, her expression falling in
surprise when she saw Septimus there with food. Memories of the
night before slipped back in and she vaguely remembered falling
asleep on him. It made her give him with an apologetic frown,
her eyes avoiding him. "Morning..." She said softly, before
glancing at the food. "S-Sorry for the night before. I...I
wasn't myself." She said before sitting up and pulling her legs
closer to herself.
#Post#: 961--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chapter 1.65: Kindled Embers (Asena & Septimus) [Y1057]
By: unknownmercury Date: June 11, 2020, 10:20 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Septimus moved to set the food on the stand beside the bed and
sat himself on the edge of the mattress. "Don't worry about it.
We've all had our nights spent drinking. How are you?
Physically, I mean, not... not the other stuff." That was a
wound that would never quite heal completely. There was no way
around that.
"My offer still stands in the light of day, by the way. Come
spend some time at my home. I won't talk about work, you can
just relax and take your mind off things for a few days. My
staff will probably be thrilled to have a guest to tend to."
Lelasa would probably scream if Septimus brought a lady home.
The maid was always getting on him about his reclusive
tendencies and his lack of a love life. More than once she'd
threatened to set him up with her cousin or friends or...
Septimus shook away the thought. The staff would be happy to
have someone else in the house. Septimus didn't leave much mess,
and he tended to clean up after himself instead of letting the
people he actually paid do so. They were mostly just there to
tend to the dusting and the like.
"Or we could go on a trip. You and me traveling and camping with
nobody else around to bother us, if you would like." He was
overdue to visit Kri, now that he thought of it, and then he
should also head down south to visit home. But, no, this wasn't
about his errands and desires. "Just say the word, and I'll
arrange things for us."
#Post#: 964--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chapter 1.65: Kindled Embers (Asena & Septimus) [Y1057]
By: Kimcora Date: June 12, 2020, 12:34 am
---------------------------------------------------------
When he sat on the bed, Asena let her eyes flit up to Septimus's
face. He was surprisingly forgiving for that pitiful display.
She swallowed hard, her expression easing as she scolded herself
for not just trusting his kindness. Had Septimus ever given her
reason to believe he wasn't kind? She was being cynical...The
question made her tense and she was silent a long moment. She
then turned her attention to the food, plucking the glass of
water off the tray. "I feel like I got kicked in the head by a
horse. I'll be fine... I'm a light weight so drinking like that
isn't my usual." She brought her glass to her lips as her voice
cracked and was still hoarse from yesterday's yelling.
The next offer made her pause, pulling away from her glass so
that she could focus on his words. He was inviting her to his
place to stay somewhere other than a very public inn, underneath
the eyes of all her support group. That did sound wonderful, a
place to get away from the others, but still reachable in case
she was needed to solve some issue. It didn't take her
completely from the campaign which was still very important at
the moment.
The other option was a trip, something that made her a bit
surprised he would want to travel far away with her. That was a
strange sentiment, but she had traveled with him once to realize
he was a good companion. That could be good...maybe to see her
aunt and maybe Damon's mother...She looked down at her hands
realizing she would have to write to them and tell them what
happened. She pushed that thought down and quickly grabbed a
piece of bacon to shove back tears. It wouldn't be the best
option, not with a campaign going on. Maybe in the
future...After all he seemed so willing to be so accommodating
to her.
"I think I should remain in the near Marieve until the election
is done. As much as it's the last place I want to be, I want to
be nearby for everyone and what if something happens? I can't
abandon the candidacy. Even if I..." She said with a nod before
the flightiest of smiles graced her lips. "I'll take you up on
your estate and your company. And no talks of work? How could I
pass up the chance at conversation that isn't about my talking
points?" She said in the first joke she had made, but it lacked
her usual mirth. She cleared her throat before she placed a hand
on his arm. "Thank you...for the offer and being here. And the
bacon." She winked before pulling her hand away and tucking into
more of the breakfast. "I don't think I've ever seen your estate
Septimus. Is it in Marieve?" She asked since she was genuinely
curious and this talk was keeping her mind off Damon, despite
the ache and hollowness still mixing inside where she was
burying it.
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