Titania was just about to open her mouth to speak, but then she saw a wave of fear and dread wash over her captive and narrowed her eyes, enthralled in the sight before her. However, it did not elicit a compassionate reaction. To the queen, Sable was still a test subject, not a real person.

[i]Lexi?[/i] she thought curiously. [i]So that’s her motivation, huh? Friend, sister, or cousin then. That narrows it down.[/i]

Even without checking, Titania knew there was no one else in the room. It was just Sable overreacting to a shadow or something. But still, that was not when she’d wanted the other girl to break. It was too early. Much too early. Time to abort the experiment and see if there was a chance of recovering the subject.

[i]Let’s think. Think, think, think.[/i]

Unchaining her would probably be a safe bet. With slightly shaking hands, Titania unlatched her prisoner. It took a little while, especially in her clumsy, uncalculated state.

[i]Gotta act fast. What else? I have to preserve her mental state.[/i]

She finally reached a decision.

[i]I’m going to regret this.[/i]

She opened her arms to the woman who had just recently attempted to assassinate her and held her in a tight embrace. It was unlike her very much, but it would be more unlike her to let a perfectly good person break before their time.

“Shh, shh. Calm down. No one’s there. It’s okay. Shh.”

The words seemed foreign in her mouth, but something deep and ancient within her snapped, and she blinked a few times before resuming in gently but firmly holding Sable in what served as both a comforting and immobilizing gesture.

[i]Yep. Regretting this already.[/i]