Justine had half a mind to slap the girl again, though she was interrupted by Jaakuna. Emiri watched him, slightly in disbelief. She couldn't believe what he was saying. No, she could believe it, it was very much like him. As he looked at her again, she could only look back. She gripped his hand tightly, trying to take his courage again. Justine, on the other hand, wasn't amused. She wrenched her hand from Jaakuna's grip, glaring at the two of them. She scoffed, grabbing the newspaper Andre was reading, and she waved it in front of Jaakuna.

"[b]Let me tell you something, young man.[/b]" Justine decided to educate him. "[b]Do you see my husband here? This is an almost weekly to bi-monthly occurrence. He works for his country every day, sacrificing everything, putting his life on the line so that this girl--[/b]" She pointed the newspaper at Emiri. "[b]--Could have a roof over her head. So she could eat. And play. And do whatever it was that she pleased. Her father and I worked nonstop to clothe her, bathe her, make sure she had nothing but the best. And you know what she does? She throws it all away, and for what? To live like a dog? She could have had a much easier life than her father and I did, instead she chose to throw it all away.[/b]"

Emiri squeezed his hand, slightly hiding behind him, clearly ashamed of herself. She was right. She was so right it hurt.

"[b]Justine, that's enough.[/b]" Andre warned her, moving to stand up. He winced slightly, grabbing his ribcage. "[b]Shit...[/b]"

"[b]Papa, stay still, you're not well.[/b]" Emiri told him quietly, her voice wavering, though she did look back at Justine.

"[b]Even now, you let someone else speak for you.[/b]" At this point Justine eyed Jaakuna. "[b]If I were you, I wouldn't get too comfortable. It's only a matter of time until you do something--anything--and she will abandon you just like she abandoned us.[/b]"

No, no, that wasn't true. She didn't abandon them. She didn't. But...it was true. Everything she said was true. Feeling the tears in her eyes, she her head on Jaakuna's shoulder, her whole body trembling. A doll after all, because the words wouldn't come no matter how hard she tried. She wanted to tell her--and her father--that she didn't want to run. She didn't want to leave them. She was wrong, she was wrong! It was her fault! She was such an idiot, why would she ever come back? Why did she even bother? She had expected this would happen, and it did. 

---------

They haven't even gone on a date. Not even once. This silenced both Lorenzo and Karolina, who looked at Nadeline with shocked expressions on their faces. Grant couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow. Lorenzo never shut up, so this was a first. A very long silence ensued, so much that you could probably hear a pin drop. Lorenzo slowly raised his head from Karolina's lap and stood up. He walked over to Wesley, placing both of his hands onto the prince's shoulders. His expression was completely blank, expressionless. A tension then formed int he air so thick one would need a chainsaw jut to hope to be able to grab it. Lorenzo stared into Wesley's eyes, a look so serious and deep even Nadeline started feeling nervous.

And then the tension was cut.

"[b]Are you telling me my beautiful little girl isn't good enough for you to even take on a date?![/b]" He yelled angrily, shaking Wesley's shoulders. "[b]Have you any idea how many suitors in a day she gets?! Every man and even some women compete daily just to get a glimpse of my daughter's beauty! Men clamor around her every time she steps out of the castle, women swoon in her precnese and wish to know her daily rituals in a pathetic attempt to be like her! And you're telling me that you haven't even gone on a date?! Are you a fool? Are you a joke? ARE YOU EVEN A MAN?![/B]"

Karolina nodded in agreement. "[b]You can't be too slow these days, Miss Glacie is right, you just never know how the world will be these days~[/b]"

Nadeline couldn't believe what she was hearing. One moment he was begging her not to leave him and not to have children, the next he was yelling at Wesley for...something she didn't quite understand. She groaned, stomping her foot on the ground. "[b]Mother, Father, stop it, you're so embarrassing![/b]" She whined.

Grant let out a sigh, clearly unfazed by this. He found himself looking at Savayna, offering a shrug. "[b]At least they're entertaining.[/b]" He told her.