"Do you live alone?" Sylvia asked quietly as she & Rowan cleaned their dishes & laid out blankets on the small sofa for Sylvia to sleep on. The dragon simply nodded & tossed pillows down on the sofa, then tossing a long linen nightgown for her to sleep in. & then she was alone in the living room, between the bedroom door & fireplace.

Too tired to pry anymore or put up a fight, Sylvia pulled on the night dress & climbed into her bed for the evening. Laid on the sofa, Sylvia wondered for a bit of Aranhil even missed her. She wasn't the wife he wanted, so why should he care if she was gone?

..._..._...

"If you have experience with the Prince, you should be devoted to him," River replied dryly, narrowing his eyes, "As for size, I do believe that is none of your business, Miss, for you are not Emera."

River replied with a dull tone, with no room for argument or misinterpretation. He couldn't just publicly humiliate the woman as he wanted, but he wasn't going to pretend like her desperate attempt to get his attention was getting her anywhere. To think, there was a time he would have been willing to not only give the woman what she wanted, but even more that she wasn't prepared for.

"Excuse me," River muttered, carefully prying the maid's hands off of him. Slowly, her went to Emera's side, unashamed as he swiped her pricked finger & gently kissed over the tiny hole she'd left on her finger.

"Do be more careful, my dear," he urged Emera gently.