[i] “I wouldn’t myself, obviously. If I can help it, I’d like to treat you with as much decency as I can, and that includes not beating you around like an animal. Of course, if I’m left with no choice, there wouldn’t be much I could do anyways.”[/i]

Melissa said nothing, only turning around her precious bunny doll in her hands. Well wasn’t someone so pretentious. Figures that a princess would try to settle these matters in a peaceful setting. But wait, wasn’t that what her own had done…no, that was a memory of the past. And things like those deserved to be buried into the ground and put away with for good.

[i]“But if you’re asking for pity, you’re not getting any. I expect you to take some responsibility for your actions. From now on, no more magic, or else three hours physical torture. Okay? No more of that.”[/i]

The rouge crossed her arms and “hmpfed” in annoyance. True, her magic needed to be replenished anyway, but having torture as the rebuttal to that was still irritating. She was so unsettled by this decree in fact, that she almost failed to catch the lack of sweet pleasantries dripping from the princess’ voice.

[i] “Forgive me.”[/i]

“Huh?”

Melissa watched Alice walk back and forth across her cell with glances every few seconds towards the crimson stains that lined the walls. The bones were unpleasant, sure, but Melissa had expected all of this from the beginning of her confinement. Why was this other girl so surprised?

“…I just don’t get it Miranda,” she said to her doll quietly, not even attempting to hide her words to the inanimate object. Her plan of false sympathy was gone now, replaced by a burning curiosity and much confusion.

“She’s just gonna kill us after we’ve done our part. I don’t get why she has to act all nice and everything. Actually, it’s probably better if we just cooperate anyway,” she reasoned. The doll, of course, said nothing in response.

“I mean, our lives really don’t matter to anyone at this point so…and why is she getting upset about the treatment down here too? Doesn’t she know you’re [i]supposed[/i] to do this to bad people? Come to think of it…”

She looked up and stared at her captor now.

“Hey, you didn’t tell me your name. How am I supposed to trust my killer when she can’t even do that?”