[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/180330/62bf02288f5840b639fb57f0ce748ef9.png[/img][/center]
[center][sub]Bride of [b]Heccarmin[/b]. Sister Bride of [b]Sorrin[/b] [@WeepingLiberty]
Interacting with [b]Heccarim[/b] and [b]Sorrin[/b][/sub][/center]

Clang. Clang. Clang.

The sound of the Warden’s chains rang through Arden’s ears. The woman refused to flinch in fear in the presence of the monster, instead her hardened expression remained as she glared at him without hesitation. He was the master of a prison, surely glaring [i]prisoners[/i] would not phase him; likely a common occurrence in the hell he was used to living in. A yank came at her wrists as Heccarim pulled her and Sorrin behind him. The yank came so suddenly, the Gem almost tripped on her feet before steadying into a walk. Finding her footing against the sturdy ground, her glaring eyes returned to the back of the beast as she followed in silence.

The walk through the city was quick. Arden knew she was tall for a gem, a female gem at that, but the Drakkan must’ve been a foot taller than her and it was a struggle to keep up with his pace. She looked over to her sister, Sorrin, who was noticeably shorter than herself. She worried how the blonde haired girl was fairing, she seemed petrified in the Choosing and all Arden wanted to do was speak to the girl, console her even. She didn’t dare speak though, given that the Warden was guiding them in and out of the alleyways, purposefully avoiding the main streets; was he hiding them?

Once the trio reached the edge of the city and emerged from the buildings, the Warden rang a bell that shrieked through the empty desert. It was cold and now that they were standing in the open with no protection from the roofs overhanging the city, Arden realized it was raining. The droplets found her skin like bees find flowers blooming on a spring day. Her head naturally cocked back as she looked up at the blackened sky. [color=9BD9E3][i]If we don’t leave soon, we will freeze out here…[/i][/color]

It wasn’t long before a carriage could be heard in the distance, the sound of the wooden wheels cracking beneath the weight of the structure echoed in the emptiness of the desert. Arden watched in curiousity as it drew closer until it came to a lulling stop in front of them; the strong odour of death following it. Her eyes studied the carriage, everything about it was designed to scare. Within moments of the carriage halting, two grotesque creatures emerged. Arden felt her face twist into a shocked and disgusted look, she had never seen something so hideous in her life before and how they looked at her with their yearning eyes sent a shiver down her spine. 

The tiny creatures opened the carriage doors for the Warden, following behind him and taking their seat beside him. They sat erect with pride next to the Drakkan; clearly he was well revered in this dark land. Another yank came at the chains attached to the cuffs tightened around their wrists, pulling them inside the carriage. Arden found her seat opposite of the beast, Sorrin next to her. Once the two girls were situated, Arden looked over at her sister, hoping the girl would notice her empathetic look before turning her attention back to their keeper. 

He began to speak, in the same eerie voice he had used when they were delivered to him. What came next almost seemed practice, a speech of some kind designed to imprint terror onto them as a desperate effort to ensure obedience. 

[b]You will not attempt to escape.[/b]

Arden turned her look away from him, purposefully not giving him the attention she knew he expected his speech to demand, and found herself watching as the Hoblars began boarding the windows. Another tact used to scare them, to make sure they felt as trapped as possible.

[b]I will cut off her limbs and feed them to you[/b]

It was almost humourous to her that a man who called himself the Warden of Harand Kor, clearly a title to be feared, would have to go to such lengths to scare his brides. Gems, who she had learned while in Shadow Worth, were nothing but objects. Weak objects.

[b]Stripped and beaten[/b]

She looked back to the Warden from the corner of her eye as he finished threatening them, defiance lighting behind her gaze. Stripped and beaten. She had already been beaten as a result of an act of direct defiance in the face of a royal. They needed her. [i]He[/i] needed her, he had made that clear already. [color=9BD9E3][i]An heir for Harand Kor.[/i][/color]

[b]Do. I. Make. My. Self. Clear.[/b]

Arden turned to face the Drakkan, her steel grey eyes meeting with his. Her face wore an expression of that of a person in power angered by someone’s unjust actions. 

[color=9BD9E3]”Warden of Harand Kor, was it?[/color] She asked, her voice steady. [color=9BD9E3]”Fear will not bring you an heir to your prison. Your threats are empty, [i]Warden[/i]. You might be lucky that there is two of us, but in order to make sure your prison continues to thrive, you [i]need[/i] us. Otherwise you wouldn’t have been at the ceremony, collecting your [i]prize[/i]. You can beat me all you want, you can burn me, starve me, isolate me… It won’t matter because you won’t kill me. You need a child, and your chances are higher with two. But I swear, it won’t be easy for you.”[/color]

Arden stared at him for a moment, her heart racing against her chest, clawing to escape. Even she knew she was taking a heavy risk and she was scared, but she couldn’t let him hold all the power. She couldn’t let him win and turn them into terrified little souls. If she had been alone, she might have kept quiet, but she was with a sister and her sister needed to be protected. If he was angered at something, he would always look to her for this moment and take it out on her, hopefully leaving Sorrin alone.

[color=9BD9E3]”Do I make myself clear?”[/color] She finally asked, her face still unflinching.