Once Vivian had laid out some outfits before me, I selected a pair of shorts and a t-shirt - there was scarcely any point in dressing up while I was imprisoned. I ignored the sandals - they were of no use to me while I was effectively inside a padded cell. Changing was a hassle; I felt far too weak to stand, so I had to dress myself while sitting. I took a deep breath, anticipating Mother's arrival. Surely she could be made to see reason!

When she arrived, clothed in an obscenely expensive looking outfit, I sat up just a little bit straighter. It seemed as though my fate were in her hands. 

"Mother, listen," I began, eyes on the floor. "The incident with the knife - I was really stressed, I was feeling overwhelmed by my new position and all the duties that it entails. All of that brought back... bad memories." She would know what I was referring to, of course. "But now that I've been made to relax for a while, I am feeling much better. Please let me out of this room! Being confined in here makes me very uncomfortable." Heat was rushing to my cheeks; I had spoken very little to others about anything that related to my kidnapping in any way. "You can even have someone supervise me, to make sure I don't do anything rash - I don't mind! But I'll never recover if I just stay cooped up in here!" 

I looked up, my eyes meeting Mother's. If she didn't let me leave, I didn't know what I was going to do with myself!