Posts by Orchadork

I think I'd prefer for it to be gxg this time, since I don't get to do it often. And I can make it. I'll just need a bit of time. I don't have any plans though, so I'll probably be up late anyway.

Sabrina

Sabrina's life had been laid out like a plan before her for as long as she remembered. Everything she did was scheduled or planned for her without her having a single word about it. Of course, she could try to refuse, but she would be scolded and some "compromise" would be made for her. Often she didn't even feel like a person, just a means to someone else's end. She could never make her own decisions without someone scolding or criticizing her for it. She wasn't making ignorant or selfish decisions either. She had been taught thoroughly about what it takes to rule a kingdom, and how to make decisions for the sake of others rather than herself. She had all the skills necessary to be her own ruler, but was never allowed the chance.

Even her father, who had been said to "spoil" her, barely listened to her requests. Whenever it came to ruling the kingdom, she was never able to take control of it. She was always told the country needed a king to rule it, and that she would find it to be too much. King Thurmond refused to even give her the chance to lead by herself. He seemed relentless in setting her up with suitors, somehow finding every man who had an interest in ruling the kingdom. Sabrina refused every one though, not letting herself back down. Even though some of them had been nice and with good intentions, she couldn't let herself be pushed aside for someone else to take what should have been her birth-right.

Now though, she found she must have pushed the man too far. She couldn't believe he had taken things this far. Though, she must have gotten her own stubbornness from someone, she assumed. Even though he should have been on his death bed, he found it of absolute importance to make an appearance and a declaration. She had barely believed it when she'd first heard, but now she was near furious. Not with him, but at their situation. The throne should have just been given to her long ago, but it seemed her father never took the easy way. Now, rather than letting her choose for herself, he had chosen someone for her, and she was to meet him today.

Now, she stood behind the doors leading to the throne room, waiting to be let in. Even under her anger, she could recognize her nervousness and even fear of who it was she was supposed to marry. After all, whoever it was would be in charge of the whole kingdom, and she could only hope her father had chosen well. She looked up from her thoughts as the door opened, and she took a breath before stepping into the room. Her gaze was immediately caught by the hulking figure standing in front of her father. Her thoughts were suddenly racing, trying to figure out just who her father had chosen, and why. Despite her shock, it didn't take her long to figure out who he was. Despite rarely going to the colosseum, it didn't take many visits to remember a man whose various names spoke for themselves.

She suddenly felt her anger at her father rise again. How could he possibly believe such a man could be fit to rule a kingdom? How could he do it any better than her? He could easily put their country into war after war if he desired to. She walked up to them, completely ignoring the man to instead gaze at the king. "Father, this is absurd" she told him "you can't possibly believe this man would be suitable! How could you possibly trust this brute more than your own daughter?!" She knew she was expected to be more polite, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Not after this.

//I hope this is alright?

Sabrina was both enraged and hurt by her father's words to her. After all she had done to prove herself, he still held onto to that belief. She had spent all of this time showing him she was responsible enough, working hard to make herself a good ruler, just to be thrown aside like this. All because she wasn't his son. However, even with her angered thoughts, she couldn't help her worry from showing as he went into a coughing fit. She was scared of his failing health, and that was why she had tried to show him she was a better ruler than any man he could find. Clearly, though, he refused to see that.

As his fit ended, she straightened up again and composed herself, meeting his gaze without wavering. She knew there was no point now, but she wouldn't back down so easily, not even from him. She couldn't imagine how a man like this could possibly be suitable to rule his kingdom. The only thing she could think now was that he was punishing her for her continued refusal to marry. It was beyond ridiculous to her, but it was all she could think at this point. Before she could say anything though, Brutus spoke up first.

For the first time, she looked over at him, glaring at his expression. The princess could only feel her fury grow at his answer, her hands clenching into fists. How dare he treat them like this, as if being king was just a pass time. He had no right to even be in this throne room, let alone stay there. "You think this kingdom is a joke? Just something to entertain you while you're bored" she said accusingly before looking back at the king "I refuse to let this man near that throne. He'll turn this country to ruin before we know it! I'd rather you force me with one of the old suitors. I'd rather be alone my entire life than let this man rule in your place!"

She couldn't understand why he'd let such an uncaring, ruthless man take the throne. Why would he put his kingdom in danger just to punish his daughter? She was starting to grow worried at the thought of it, and was trying to find any way to stop this. After a moment, her expression softened to one of worry. "Please father, your illness is altering your judgement" she said "just take some time to reconsider this before it's too late to change it." Her worry wasn't an act. She really was afraid that his ailment could be altering his thought process as well. She didn't want him to be remembered for such a poor decision so late in life.

Maeveen had been alone in her forest for a long time. As soon as she was old enough to care for herself, she'd been left to her own devices. She knew her forest like the back of her hand, and knew everything that when through it. One of the things to greatly catch her attention were the humans who would pass through from time to time. She was always too afraid to get close or try to communicate with them, but they still caught her interest, possibly far more than they should have. She often found herself following them, and even collecting things they had left behind.

Recently, though, she had noticed that more and more humans seemed to be passing through her forest. Many of which were men with frightening looking weapons. She knew they hunted in her forest from time to time, but she found that they often didn't leave with any game. It wasn't until she had been chased by one that it occurred to her that she was the one being hunted. That scared her more than anything, and she found herself drifting further away from the humans. If she saw any men alone in the forest, she would quickly avoid them. Others she would follow from a much greater distance than before. It hurt to have to avoid them like this, as she could think of nothing she'd done to them. Even so, she could never truly rid herself of her curiosity.

Because of this curiosity, she now found herself near one of the villages, though still out of sight. She couldn't see much, but what she managed to find always intrigued her. She wanted to know more about them, even if they were dangerous to her. As she watched the village, she quickly hid herself further as she saw a lone figure approaching the trail leading into the forest. She couldn't tell who they were, or why they might be travelling, but she soon found herself watching them more closely than the rest of the village.

It's done! And I went ahead and made a starter post.

To be Hunted ||Private||

Sabrina ignored the other's lack of a true response. It only made it more clear to her that he couldn't be trusted to take this seriously. She just needed her father to see that, but his words made her stop in her tracks. It felt like she hadn't heard him speak so clearly in such a long time. It only added to how hard his words hit her in that moment.

He knew she would make a good leader, so why hadn't he given her a chance? She'd thought over it all for so long, how could she have missed his reason in this? This man had no experience, or even care it seemed, for running a country. How could she need him? However, she knew at this point that she could ask her father none of these questions. His decision was made, and it was clear now that she wouldn't be able to change it. She doubted he would answer many of her questions anyway, and instead let her find out for herself.

She went quiet for a long moment, simply listening to the two of them. She was at least slightly relieved that Brutus seemed to recognize his lack of experience, but didn't let herself get her hopes up. He made it clear that he was happy to take the throne, even if it was for the wrong reasons. Her father's answer to his question only confirmed what she had thought before. He seemed determined to make them figure everything out on their own. She despised his way of avoiding the question, but knew better than to try to force a straight answer out of him.

She looked up again as her name was mentioned, looking over at Brutus. Despite realizing she couldn't stop this, this didn't stop her anger towards him, and she couldn't suppress the glare she gave him. "Just so he won't destroy what we've built" she said lowly before turning away from him. She didn't want to look at either of the men at the moment, her emotions and thoughts too scattered for the moment. "If you expect any of this to be easy, you'll be greatly mistaken" she added coldly. She had spent her life learning how to rule, and using that knowledge only to teach someone else to be king seemed to just add salt to the wound.

After a moment, she had a thought that only seemed to add to her worries, and caused her to look up at the king. "Father, how do plan to explain this decision to the people" she asked "I can't imagine this will be a popular opinion. How will we keep them from making any rash decisions?" She knew very well that Brutus had made a reputation for himself, and that reputation was most likely all the people would see. She didn't want to imagine their reactions to finding out he would be ruling them.

Sabrina simply ignored Brutus' comment, deciding it better not to start anything. Her father was already upset enough with her, she didn't need to give him more reasons to be. Still, as she listened to his answer, she couldn't help but feel her anger grow. How could he not have a plan of how to present this to the public? How could he be so sure about this? She wasn't even sure about any of this herself, she had no doubt that there would be plenty of people who felt the same way.

And, after glancing at Brutus one more time, she found she hated his attitude towards this more than anything. He acted as if he couldn't be bothered with any of this. It was clear he cared for none of it, or could even be seen as acting above it all. She wasn't given the chance to say anything to either of them about it though, as the king spoke to her yet again.

She couldn't help but grit her teeth at the idea of having to spend time alone with this man, let alone show him around her home. He didn't deserve the pleasure to be here, let alone have a tour. But at the same time, she knew her father wouldn't let her refuse. He may have formed it as a question, but she knew very well that it was more of an order. "Fine, I will" she said after a moment, her voice a bit strained "but father, I will want to speak with you about this later." She didn't want to leave it at this and just wait for things to happen. She just couldn't voice her thoughts at the moment.

She turned and started heading toward the door before looking back at Brutus. Her anger at this was still clear in her eyes, and she didn't bother trying to hide it from anyone. "Follow me, and actually try to pay attention if you would" she said harshly "don't expect any help if you get lost." She didn't wait to see his reaction before turning and continuing in the same direction. She knew whatever he did wouldn't help her anger, and she didn't want to have another outburst in front of anyone else in the throne room or nearby.

As the left the throne room, Sabrina couldn't the thoughts crossing her mind about her father. She wanted to try so hard to get him to change this, but just seeing him on the throne brought her back to reality. She really didn't know how long he would still be there, and that made her both worried and angry. She hated the thought of losing him, and even more so the thought that a barbaric man would be taking his place. In her mind, no one deserved to replace her father, she could only hope she would have done his memory justice. But even so, it was completely out of the question to think that a man like this could possibly take over for him.

She was shaken from those thoughts by the heavy sound of the door closing behind them, focusing again on her task. No matter how much she hated it, she wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. However, Brutus didn't seem to want to make this easy for her at all. His comment caused her to frown more than she had been, and she found herself turning slightly to glare back at him before she could stop herself.

"I treat people based on what they deserve" she said plainly, her voice just as cold as before "you've beyond proven that you don't deserve any of the luxuries offered here. You couldn't even compose yourself to even act like you cared for anything back there. That alone shows me you don't deserve to have even passed the gate." She didn't bother restraining herself now that the king wasn't present. She was tired of holding back from someone like him. At this point, she didn't even care if she got scolded later for it.

She forced herself to look forward again, figuring out where she wanted to go. She knew the places she wanted to keep him well away from. The last thing she wanted was for him to find the spots where she spent the most time. Even though they were to be married, she didn't want to spend more time around him than she had to. "Is there anywhere you'd like to see" she asked plainly "or, let me guess, 'you don't care'?" She didn't expect him to give her any sort of meaningful answer, and resigned herself to going wherever she thought of first, or whatever seemed to be closest. It didn't seem to her that Brutus would care for any of it anyway, if how he treated the king was anything to go by.

Sabrina could practically feel his words pierce through her, and had to force herself not to stop where she was. She had been trying to push away those kind of thoughts, and of course he managed to choose the worst of them to say aloud. She knew her father was dying, and to think that this might be their last impressions of each other scared her more than anything. But at the same time, she hadn't wanted is successor to be anyone she thought couldn't live up to his name and standards.

Just hearing Brutus' comment about it all caused her to grit her teeth, but she refused to look back at him. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of getting an outburst from her. "You know nothing about us" she said lowly, not letting herself say anymore than that. Her pace became a bit faster in her anger, though she was not fully aware of it.

She ignored the sarcasm in his answer; at least he was smart enough to recognize that. She had provoked it anyway, so she couldn't expect anything else from his response. She couldn't help but roll her eyes, though, not at all surprised by his choice. Of course someone so violent would want to see the barracks and training field. She hardly went there herself, as she had no need to be present often, but she knew very well where it was.

"Would you rather me make it long and drawn out" she asked "I can always go into great detail of each room on our way there. After all, you seemed so interested in the rest of the castle." She knew it was beyond petty, but she could see how uncomfortable he was in the palace. At this point, she found she almost wanted him to get angry with her. At least it was something different than just brushing her off like everyone else. She couldn't stand being the only one furious with this situation. She at least wanted to make him hate it like she did.

Sabrina couldn't help but glare at him when he seemed to just shrug off her words. That alone made this whole experience worse for her. She had no idea what made him tick, yet he seemed to figure out everything to just add to her anger. She wasn't sure if she was just lucky or if he actually showed restraint, but she was glad to see he didn't push much more about her and the king.

However, she felt herself tense as he got closer, and his words practically made her blood boil. How dare he think of her in such a way. Even if it was just to get under her skin, she couldn't stop herself from being disgusted just at the thought of it. "Not even in your dreams would I ever do such a thing" she said angrily "nothing as barbaric as you should even be near me."

Without warning she quickly turned down another hall, just wanting to get away from him. Usually, she would have pointed out important rooms or landmarks to a guest, but she didn't even regard any of them as they passed. If she showed him what he wanted to see, then she would have no reason to be near him for any longer. She just wanted him to go away, and maybe then she'd be able to calm down. After all, she didn't want to be this angry in front of her father. She had already shown too much before.

Soon enough, she lead them through a door that brought them outside. It was clear just from the men around them that this was the training field for their knights and soldiers. She had overseen their training enough to know that they must be preparing at the moment. "There, here's the training field you wanted to see" she said disinterestedly "I'm sure anyone will be happy to show you the barracks. Now if you'll excuse me, I think our "tour" is done." She quickly turned away, aiming to leave as soon as possible before Brutus could say anything else.

Sabrina didn't respond to any more of his words, not wanting to give him any more chances to make things worse for her. Was this something the'd have to get used to? Would he always be this insufferable? She hoped not, or at least that she'd be able to learn to deal with it better. Because, as much as she hated to admit it, he was right. They were stuck together at this point, and she couldn't change it if she tried. That was clear to her now.

As she started to walk away, she couldn't help but be caught off guard by his last statement. She had never before been told that she had too much restraint. Rather, she was often scolded for letting her emotions run too freely. She was sure there were many people in the castle who would scold her for how she acted today, both with him and with her father. She wasn't sure what to think about being told the complete opposite. She didn't let that stop her though, and continued her way back into the castle.

She wasn't even sure what she should do now, though. She couldn't go back to see her father yet; it hadn't been enough time, and he'd know for sure that she hadn't shown him around properly, like she'd been told to. Not only that, but she needed a good excuse for why he wasn't with her now. It would be seen as irresponsible otherwise.

She began walking towards a quieter wing of the castle, taking deep breaths as she went. She just wanted a place away from most others so she could compose herself again. She didn't think about much, as right now many of her thoughts just added to her anger, especially those of Brutus. Now that she was away from it all though, she began to feel bad. Not for Brutus or the situation they were in, but for how she'd treated the king before. Once she calmed down again, she sighed to herself. I need to go apologize to father. She knew she couldn't make up for her outbursts, and she couldn't make herself like what he'd now put her through, but she didn't want him upset with her. Not now of all times. She turned and headed back the way she'd come, this time aiming for the throne room instead.

Sabrina had made it to the door leading into the throne room, but wasn’t quite able to bring herself to go in yet. She felt terrible about what she did, and wanted to make sure her father truly saw that. She just wanted to do whatever she could to make up for how she had treated him earlier. She didn’t think she’d ever really understand his reasons for what he did, but she didn’t want that argument to be the last thing they shared. He meant so much more than that to her.

As she stood there, deep in thought, a sound quickly caught her attention, and alarmed her. Forgetting everything about the apology, she quickly opened the door into the throne room, looking to where she heard the thud. Her eyes widened in shock and fear as she saw her father, a fallen heap on the ground. “Father!” She ran over to him without a second thought, dropping on her knees beside him. She looked over him frantically, tears coming to her eyes as she thought the worst. She soon saw his breathing, despite how shallow it was, and felt just a slight sense of relief. Though, it was no where near enough to calm her fears. “Doctor! Medic! Someone, get help!” Her scream was frantic, hoping a guard outside hadn’t heard her. No guards being in their vicinity only made everything worse.

She quickly but carefully turned her father over so he was facing upward, already feeling tears begin to run down her face. “It’s okay, you’re going to be okay father” she said, seeming to be comforting the both of them “they’re going to get help. Someone will be here soon. They have to be.” Just saying the words, she was already doubting herself, but she refused to believe it. He wouldn’t die like this, he still had to have some time. Even so, she couldn’t help but feeling this would be their last moments together, and that only made everything worse.

“I’m sorry” she said suddenly, her voice choking “I’m so sorry. I-I’ve been a terrible daughter. I didn’t mean to argue like that, I didn’t mean to try to disobey you. I’m just...I’m so sorry.” She didn’t know what else to say in the moment, and just continued to quietly repeat the phrase. She didn’t even know if he was fully there at this point, but it didn’t matter. She was just hoping beyond hope that, just maybe, he’d live for a while longer. She couldn’t help burn glance up from time to time, silently begging for someone to come help him.

Sabrina’s apologies seemed to fade off until she was just mumbling to herself. She didn’t know what to do at this point. Why was no one there yet? They should have been here to help by now. She had to have been hear by someone. She didn’t want to leave his side to look though, too afraid of something bad happening while she was away. If he did die now, she refused to let him be alone. She felt completely useless in the moment, and she hated it more than anything.

She looked up as she saw someone come to their side, hoping it was someone come to help them. Upon realizing it was Brutus though, she wasn’t sure what to think. She was desperate for some sort of help, but would he even do anything? His expression told her that he seemed fine with letting the man die, but she couldn’t bring herself to say anything about it. She just averted her gaze, looking past him to see if anyone had followed him inside. She didn’t even realize the man had crouched down until she felt her father’s weight move. Without thinking she tried to hold on to him, but stopped herself when she realized what Brutus was doing.

She could only look at him in confusion for a moment, having no clue to think in the moment. However, she didn’t have time to question his motives. Her father needed help as soon as possible. She took a shaky breath before nodding and standing up. “R-right, it’s this way” she said, her voice thick. She quickly turned and started hurrying down a hallway. She couldn’t help but glance back every now and then, desperately hoping they got there in time. She wanted her father to gerbil help as soon as possible, and she still couldn’t believe Brutus seemed to be the only one to have heard her. But, she wasn’t ungrateful for his help. It wasn’t better than nothing, and much more than she’d expected from such an uncaring man.

It didn’t take her long to find their way to his bedroom and she quickly opened the door to let them in. “Just, put him in his bed” she said, her voice still shaking with worry and fear “gently, please...” She looked around, not sure what to do. She wasn’t able to think clearly, and wasn’t sure where the doctor could be. “I...th-the medic should be nearby, somewhere” she said quietly, looking outside and down the hall “h-he, he has to be here.” She felt utterly useless, and knew she needed to pull herself together. However, every time she tried, it only seemed to get harder. Luckily, she spotted a maid making her way down the hall, and quickly caught the woman’s attention. She seemed surprised and concerned at the princess’s state of distress, and put her hands on her shoulders worriedly. “M’lady, what happened” she asked quickly.

Sabrina quickly shook her head, unable to put it into words. She knew that if she tried to explain, she wouldn’t get anywhere. She was too worked up to explain anything right now. “P-please, please, just find the medic” she asked desperately “we need help. Right now.” Thankfully, the maid didn’t question her further and quickly rushed off. Sabrina watched her leave for a second before turning to go back into the room. She didn’t want to just be standing around, and she didn’t want to be away from the king for too long.

Maeveen watched the figure closely, trying to figure them out. She soon realized it was a woman, but she could also recognize the weapons she carried. They seemed to be the same ones men would bring in their quests to hunt her. She shivered a bit and backed a bit further into the trees, being as quiet as she possibly could. She tried to stay positive, hoping she was just hunting for someone, or off to another village for some reason. That could easily be a possibility, after all. She made sure to keep a safe distance away before beginning to follow the other as she went down the path leading further into the forest. She couldn’t tell what this girl was thinking or feeling, which slightly unnerved her. Not knowing a human’s intentions always made situations seem worse, as they’d were now my to be fairly unpredictable. Even so, she couldn’t help her curiosity from wanting to find out where she was going. Maybe if she was lucky, the stranger would lose something or leave it behind, and she could keep it for herself.

As Sabrina came back in, her gaze immediately went to where he father laid. Seeing him there, weak in his bed and struggling to hang on, only made her pain worse. She should have been prepared for this, but she wasn't sure if she could fully handle it. It only made her regrets in the moment worse. For a second, it seemed like she'd forgotten Brutus was even there, until he spoke up. His words, at first, surprised her, as it almost seemed a bit heartfelt. But she was to be rid of that thought after his second statement, being thrown into reality once more.

She wanted to be angry with him for it, but couldn't find herself able to. He wasn't wrong, and the truth that her father wouldn't make it past today hit her hard. She quickly turned away from him and went to the side of the bed, gently holding the king's hand. She couldn't tell now if he was aware of her being there at all, but she didn't know what else to do. He seemed so weak and in pain, and she only wished she could do something, anything to help him. She wasn't even sure now if he could feel her gently squeezing his hand, afraid to hold it too hard in fear of causing him more pain.

She took a shaky breath, trying to calm herself at least some. She had no idea if he could really hear her now, but she wanted to try to say something before it was too late. "Father, I'm sorry, I've been a terrible daughter recently" she said "I shouldn't have argued with you like I did, and I just wish we had more time." Using her free hand, she quickly wiped the tears from her face, though it didn't do much to help. "I-I promise, I'll make sure you're remembered fondly by our people. If they don't already, I'll make sure they see how great of a man you were. And...I-I'll do everything I can to make you proud. I swear, I'll become a queen both you and mom can be proud of."

She seemed to have forgotten that Brutus was there, and she didn't care to. All that mattered to her right now was hoping the king had heard her. Each breath he took seemed like agony for her, wondering which one would be his last. She didn't know where the maid and doctor were, but she had almost no doubt that they would be too late. She wasn't sure if anything could save him now anyway.

Sabrina didn't say anything else, knowing there was nothing else to say. She didn't even think he would hear her anyway, though she desperately wished she was wrong. She hated herself for letting their last interaction be an argument, and she just wished they'd had a chance to actually talk to each other before this happened. But, at the same time, she knew it wouldn't change anything. She couldn't change what happened, and couldn't stop what was happening now.

When the king's breaths finally came to a stop, Sabrina felt herself tense. She looked down at him almost in disbelief, as if waiting for his next breath to come. She didn't want to believe he was gone, but she knew she had to accept it. She soon took notice of footsteps outside, and felt more tears come to her eyes as two people came in. She didn't even have to turn and look to know it was the doctor and the maid from before. She couldn't help but grit her teeth, looking down at the bed itself. She couldn't bring herself to look at anyone right now, too overwhelmed with emotions she didn't know how to express.

One emotion seemed to stand out though, and that was her anger. Not at anyone in particular, but at the whole situation. "You're too late" she said, seeing the doctor from the corner of her eye. He stopped near her, being able to tell just from looking at the king that there was nothing he could do. Just having that man near her made her anger worse, and she soon stood up. She glared between the medic and maid, old and new tears streaming down her face. "You should have been here" she yelled angrily, her voice choked by her grief "you could have helped him. You could have done something, anything, but you didn't!" Deep down, she knew it was unjustified to be so mad at him, but she couldn't stop herself. She needed someone to blame, at least for the moment. She didn't want to admit that no one could have saved him, even if they tried.

The medic seemed unfazed by her outburst, just looking at her sympathetically. This reaction was normal for some deaths, so he knew to take it in stride. The only thing he could say was a quiet, "I'm sorry for your loss, your highness." This only made the woman angrier, and the maid quickly grew worried for her. "M'lady, please, you should sit down" she said gently, her voice portraying her own sadness at the king's death "you should just take a moment to-" The maid had stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on the princess' shoulder, but was caught off as the girl quickly and harshly pulled away.

"Don't touch me!" she said automatically "I don't need sympathy or pity. I don't deserve it." Her breathing became choked and uneven, but she still held her glare as she looked at everyone else. When her eyes landed on Brutus, she felt her anger grow even more at him. She hated how he seemed to have no emotions ever, even at a time like this. "You. You could at least feel something, anything" she said angrily "a man just died, your king just died, you could at least act like you feel something! Anything! Even if it was just for the fact that you'll be king now. But no, you're just heartless and cruel and care for no one around you. You disgust me, and he should have never made you his successor!"

She didn't wait for his response, not wanting to hear anything else from anyone. She quickly turned and left the room as fast as she could, almost blinded by the tears coming to her eyes. She didn't know where she was going, she just knew she couldn't be in that room any longer. Not with those people and not with her father's body. She couldn't handle it anymore.

Sabrina truly had no idea where she was going, but knew all the places she didn't want to go. Most of the places she normally went to would have someone there, whether it be a servant, maid, or something of the like. And the one thing she was sure of right now was that she didn't want to be around them. She didn't want to be questioned about what had happened, and would rather the news spread on its own, at least in the castle. She knew she'd have to make an announcement eventually, but couldn't bring herself to tell anyone now.

She ignored anyone she passed by, trying desperately to wipe the tears from her eyes. In the moment it seemed almost impossible to get them to stop, and she wasn't sure if she really wanted to. She just kept walking, trying to find somewhere that she could be alone. After a while, she soon found a small, lonely balcony that faced the city below them. She went over in that direction, checking that no one else was there before stepping outside.

It felt nice out there, with soft sounds of the town below managing to reach her spot. It was usually a calming experience for her, but she wasn't sure how to feel about it now. She walked over to the edge, trying to take a few shaky breaths as she leaned on her hands on the stone guard rail. Hearing the people down there made her suddenly realize that she was alone. Her father was gone, and the only person left near her was a man she despised. Sure, there were staff in the castle, but they had never been able to make a truly personal relationship with her. There was always a barrier between them, even if it was slight.

She leaned forward just a bit more, looking out over the edge of the balcony for a long moment before pulling away. She wouldn't allow herself to do anything impulsive. Even if she hurt now, she had to suffer through it all. That was part of her job now. She turned around and sat down on the ground, bringing her knees to her chest. She tried to take a few more breaths to calm herself, but quickly gave up. Burying her face in her knees, she began sobbing, not caring anymore. She knew someone would find her eventually, but she knew she had to let it out while she could. She couldn't act like this when she made the announcement, or when they had the funeral. She would be forced to grieve alone in the few chances she could get.

Sabrina didn't move from her position, trying to block out most of the world. At the same time though, she hated the feeling of loneliness she now had. She just didn't know how to stop it. Anyone she went to now wouldn't be much help, and would only offer her pity in this state. Her maids certainly would, even if they didn't intend to, and she didn't want to be mad at them for trying what they knew.

She ignored the set of footsteps she heard, expecting it to just be someone passing by. That was, until she heard Brutus' voice, and she quickly looked up. She immediately glared at him from his first statement, using one hand to wipe her face. What kind of a man was he, to be able to jab at her again, when she was already at her lowest point? She could only assume he had no sense of restraint either. However, that thought quieted as she took notice of his expression. It was actually an expression, and not just a blank look. It wasn't much, but it was something.

That combined with an attempt at a comforting thought confused her. He'd been the last person she'd expected it from, but right now she didn't mind as much. She knew he didn't know either of them really at all, but hearing her worry be refuted by someone actually helped. Especially coming from someone who wasn't there specifically to make her happy. He sounded slightly awkward in his delivery though, and she couldn't help but find a small pleasure in that.

She sniffed quietly, trying to find the more positive intentions in what he'd said. Even if it wasn't delivered in the best way, and though she hated to admit it, he was right. Her father had been in pain trying to hold on for so long, and it was evident to anyone around him. It hurt seeing him go through it all and being able to do nothing. She sighed shakily, looking down at the ground as he stepped away.

"You're not very good at this" she said after a long, quiet moment, her voice thick from crying for so long "but...I hate to say this, but thanks for trying, at least." It felt strange to thank him like this. After all, their first meeting had been about as terrible as one could possibly be. And she still didn't like him; she wasn't sure if she could. But, at least with this, she knew there was some sort of humanity in him. At least he wasn't some unfeeling monster. If he was, he would have easily just left her there alone.

Sabrina had to admit, his laugh surprised her even more. It was an odd sound coming from him, at least from their previous experience together. She just guessed that, after being aware of his reputation, she never expected him to ever do it at all, and especially not around her. She wasn't entirely sure how to feel about it.

He quickly made her aware of the situation at hand again, and her breath hitched slightly at the thought of it all. She should have been prepared for someone to say it, but her emotions were too rampant to react well at the moment. "I know, I know I have to pull myself together" she said bitterly, wiping at her eyes again "they'll need the announcement made, and I'll need to make an appearance, and...." Just thinking about it all hurt at the moment, and she hated that she had to do it all now. It had been a bit easier when her mother died; at least she and her father had each other to rely on. Now she wasn't sure what to do, and Brutus' advice to let it all out now only confused her more. She'd never truly been told to release her emotions; she just knew how to hide them quickly. Her whole life had taught her to keep them all to herself, now she was practically being told the opposite.

She felt dreadful being like this in front of someone, especially this man. He'd caused her so much anger, and now he was witnessing her absolute lowest point. She felt like a child in the moment, lost and seemingly unable to do anything on her own. She hated it more than anything. She wanted to push all these feelings down, lock them away somewhere like she usually did. She was trying her best to do so at the moment, just to go numb at everything around her, but it was proving much more difficult. She only kept adding to her emotions, making her problem even worse.

She looked up as Brutus spoke again, slightly confused at first. Then she remembered her outburst from before, and realized exactly what he meant. She should have been angry with him for it, but oddly enough she wasn't. Sure, she knew it would cause her trouble in the future, but for the moment it wasn't so bad. "Got it" she said quietly after a second, managing to give a very weak smile "at least your honest about it. I imagine I'll be receiving a lot of fake sentiments soon." She didn't have to think hard to know that many nobles and castle staff would be giving her their "condolences" in the coming future. Despite having made a scene about it all, she knew that there were actually few people in their vicinity who saw her family as actual friends rather than a route to more power and status.

She sighed quietly after a long moment, pushing away loose hair that had fallen into her face. She was sure she looked like a wreck, and knew she'd have to fix it. But she'd leave that for later. "Just, don't expect this to be a normal thing" she said suddenly. It was clear that she hadn't gained full control of her emotions yet, but she still felt the need to hold some dignity. "I'm better than this, and I won't let people see me this bad again."