[i]The smell of lavender was overwhelming that day. The flowers were to be used as decorations--apparently, they were his favorite. She'd never forget that flowery smell, a bittersweet one, as she would forever associate it with him. He had greeted her as he always did; a kiss upon her hand, despite not bearing any royal status, and her name rolling off his tongue in a mixture of a hungry desire and an unsaturated lust. But she was young, and did not understand that yet, and so his greetings to her were simply quirky and unusual.

Outside in the palace garden they sat, being attended to by the many servants of the castle. One would think that herself and her mother were people of importance. Still, she sat like the perfect girl her mother raised her to be, eyes emotionless and posture perfect, hands folded neatly in her lap as she let her mind wander. She never did pay much mind to the conversations; they were trivial, vain, and they bothered her, in a way.

That day was different, however, as he had taken her away from her mother and his father, and they walked through the garden. The flowers were always well taken care of, so beautiful, each looking like something out of a painting. Her favorite, however, was always the clovers hidden in the grass. True, they weren't flowers per say, but finding one was always a treat, even if the gardeners disliked them.

He had led her to the fountain, she recalled, a thing made of purest ivory and marble, placed right in the center of it all. They sat on a bench right in front of it, the water being still and home to a few birds as they bathed themselves.

His voice got her attention. "[b]Tell me. What do you think of Rozarria?[/b]"

She was raised not to think. It was a surprising question, but after a moment, she replied with what she believed to be the natural answer, "[b]It is my home, my protection.[/b]" She said, unsure of what more to say.

The answer seemed to please him somewhat, and he nodded politely. "[b] As the future ruler of Rozarria, it is of the utmost importance that I know what Rozarria means to its people. I want to be a source of strength, someone to whom everyone can turn to in their time of need.[/b]" He spoke with much vigor, she pondered if he simply liked to hear himself speak. "[b]Do you know what makes a person strong?[/b]"

She shook her head.

"[b]Motivation. When they are motivated, the feats they can accomplish have no boundaries.[/b]" He informed her. "[b]For example, my father is motivated to protect his people. Your mother is motivated by her desire to taste the life of royalty.[/b]"

"[b]I...I beg your pardon?[/b]" She asked, uncertain where the conversation was headed.

He then took her hand in his, examining it closely. His hands were rough compared to hers, and he seemed to enjoy holding it. He raised her hand to his chest, gently pulling her closer. "[b]As you are now, you are simply no more than a doll. You have no motivation to do anything, do you?[/b]" His words betrayed his smile.

She felt downright insulted, pulling her hand away. How rude of him to make such an assumption! "[b]I am not a doll.[/b]" She snapped, clearly angry, though it came out as more of a firmly voiced protest.

Once again he smiled, though this time he took a stray hair and tucked it behind her ear. "[b]Then tell me, why are you here?[/b]" Before she could answer, he quickly interjected with, "[b]You don't know, do you? I'll tell you why. Your mother wants me to take you as my bride.[/b]"

At this point, her anger turned into shock. Surely, he was joking? She was a commoner, and he was to be the next Emperor. He seemed pleased at her uncertainty, once more taking her hand, gently patting it. "[b]Yes. It would seem my father is very interested in a certain...gift you possess.[/b]" He spoke, his voice quite pleasant, and he intertwined his fingers with hers. "[b]With our marriage, we would keep you here, you see, safe from enemy hands, safe from those who would take advantage of such a thing.[/b]"

"[b]I...[/b]" She couldn't respond. Was it really true?

As if reading her mind, he chuckled to himself, though he then looked at her eyes. "[b]It's really a shame you were born in a class you don't belong to. Really...you're quite beautiful, are you aware of this? Most women pale in comparison next to you...why, I think even my sister can't hold a candle to you.[/b]" He kissed her hand once more, releasing it. "[b]I think it's fitting, really. A beautiful young lady such as yourself becoming the bride to the next Emperor...your mother's greed works out in your favor. I also gain a beautiful wife.[/b]"

It wasn't true. It couldn't be true. She felt her chest tighten, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. She shook her head, and looked at him. "[b]And what if I refuse?[/b]"

He was genuinely surprised she would say such a thing, but it was quickly replaced by a very unnerving smile, and he made sure that he was as close to her as possible. "[b]You think you have a say in the matter? Oh, that is very amusing...As I said, the choice has been made for you. You will be at my side, attending to my every want and need. Your parents have willed it and so has my father.[/b]"[/i]

Emiri opened her eyes, meeting darkness as she did so. Why was she remembering that day of all things? True, it had opened her eyes to what a fool she had been. But why now, of all times? It seemed she still felt wounded from her argument with Jaakuna, specifically from her so called choices. She let out a low groan, sitting up from the couch. Not that much time had passed, but she surmised that Jaakuna was asleep. She stifled a yawn as she got up, feeling insecure and unsure.

She walked over to the glass doors and opened them, letting in a nice breeze. She let herself get out to the balcony, closing the doors behind her, and leaned on the railing. The sky was glittered with stars, the moon shining brightly. She let out a long sigh, enjoying the fresh air. She was about to head back inside when a commotion caught her attention. Several soldiers marched by the hotel, heading towards the Aerodome. They were Bhujerban--did something happen? A girl stepped out of the way and watched them go through.

Emiri had a bad feeling about this. Furrowing her brow, she tapped the railing, her eyes darting to the Aerodome. That seemed like the place to be tonight. Her eyes roamed, and she could have sworn she spotted a male Viera walking by. That was funny, he reminded her greatly of someone she had met a long time ago. She then watched the girl step back out into the street, and she ended up looking up at Emiri. At this point, however, Emiri figured she could probably get on an airship and leave. She reentered the room, taking her things, quietly slipping into her shoes as she went to the balcony once more.

Emiri swung herself over the railing, and dropped down onto the one underneath. She repeated the process until she finally hit the ground. Just as she made to walk forward, however, she walked right into someone. "[b][color=f6989d]Forgive me, I wasn't--[/color][/b]" She began her apology, but gasped as she realized who she had bumped into.

Nadeline narrowed her eyes, brushing the dirt off her shoulder. "[b][color=fdc68a]...You...You are Justine's child. Sister to Karolina, Lorenzo's wife, yes?[/color][/b]" Emiri rolled her eyes, pushing past her. Nadeline spun around and grabbed Emiri's wrist. "[b][color=fdc68a]What are you doing here?[/color][/b]"

"[b][color=f6989d]Sightseeing.[/color][/b]" Emiri replied sarcastically. "[b][color=f6989d]The better question would be what YOU are doing here in Bhujerba, though I presume you must be lollygagging about. I truly envy you, obviously the life of a sheltered girl is one with much ease and freedom.[/color][/b]"

If looks could kill, Emiri would surely have been on the ground already. Nadeline's glare was as daggers, though she managed to regain her composure. She coughed a bit, releasing her grip on her. "[b][color=fdc68a]I see roaming the streets has robbed you of your manners. Your mother would be wounded to hear so.[/color][/b]" Nadeline snapped, placing her hands on her hips. "[b][color=fdc68a]You literally leapt off the balcony instead of coming down like NORMAL people.[/color][/b]"

Emiri didn't have time for this; she briskly walked past the blonde, further ignoring her. Unfortunately, she followed suit. The two walked in silence side by side, effectively annoying the other. Finally, Emiri let out in irritated huff and stopped in her tracks. "[b][color=f6989d]Naddie. Truly. You're getting annoying.[/color][/b]"

"[b][color=fdc68a]We're heading to the same place.[/color][/b]" She pointed out. "[b][color=fdc68a]You saw it too, didn't you? The Bhujerban soldiers heading for the Aerodome. Why would you be concerned?[/color][/b]"

"[b][color=f6989d]I don't need to tell you. More importantly, you need to go back to...wherever you were. There could be a fight.[/color][/b]"

Nadeline hesitated slightly, shifting uncomfortably. "[b][color=fdc68a]I can fight too, you know.[/color][/b]" She then sighed, shaking her head. "[b][color=fdc68a]It...It matters not. Let's just get going.[/color][/b]" She muttered, taking the lead.

Typical Naddie. Takes the lead, bosses everyone around, and completely ignores everyone else. Exactly what her motivations were exactly, she had no idea. Emiri followed, knowing it'd be up to her to keep her safe, but she did find herself looking back at the hotel. She needed to start making the right choices for herself, though she did feel somewhat guilty. [i]Fare thee well, Sky Pirate.[/i] She thought to herself. He didn't mater any more; now she had to babysit Nadeline. The pair quietly and quickly followed the soldiers, stopping just outside the Aerodome. There she saw a tall, white haired man awaiting the soldiers.

"[b][color=fdc68a]Marquis Roman?[/color][/b]" Nadeline whispered, raising an eyebrow. The girls strained to hear his words, but it was proving to be a challenge. They managed to grasp the final bits: "[b][color=silver]--Secure the Aerodome and make sure Carlo is returned safely.[/color][/b]" He had said, and with that the soldiers entered. Emiri had a feeling a fight was about to break out...