[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/PLyfcLV.png[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/wPyT7ht.png[/img][/center]
[color=E77298]Time:[/color] 9am
[color=E77298]Location:[/color] Entrance  Hall
[color=E77298]Attire:[/color][url=i.imgur.com/ngEDMGH.jpg]Dress[/url]
[color=E77298]Interaction:[/color] [@Rodiak] Zarai/Nahir [@13org] Mayet [@Helo] Leo/Callum [@Silverpaw] Wulfric [@ReusableSword] Roman [@Infinite Cosmos] Munir 
[color=E77298]Mention:[/color][@samreaper] Kazumin 

[hr]

Anastasia had smiled faintly in greeting when Wulfric spoke to her. However, soon her attention was stolen by the sight of Callum. Relief overcame her.  As he moved over to hug her, she met his steps with her own and hugged him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder as he spoke. She felt as if she were reliving the previous moment. Her mind was taken by the sight of her little brother unconscious in the bed at the clinic as her mother's words plagued her with crippling guilt. 

[color=E77298][i]I did that to him. [/i][/color]

His words ripped her out of the past, and she plucked her head up, whispering back, [color=E77298]"No. I did this..."[/color]Anastasia ended the hug to meet his eyes. [color=E77298]"I'm so sorry..."[/color]She was well aware of her actions; how she usually put herself in a stupid situation one way or another. Everyone would chastise her and let her know how foolish she had been. The thing was, she had known it to be foolish before doing so and could not bring herself to care. But this time, she hadn't expected this outcome, and she cared more than she could handle.

Her mother's words melted into a mess as all took their place to hear her lecture. She didn't need to listen to know what she had to say. It was vague damage control, and that's all anyone needed to know. Her gaze had moved about the rest of the room, looking at the faces of her brothers, the Alidasht, Zarai, Roman...

Did they blame her?
[right]Did they hate her?[/right]

A guilty conscience did pull her attention back in to listen to how everyone had been put in danger without empathy. It felt like this was all towards her. [color=E77298][i]I just... I go all the time. Marek wouldn't hurt anyone. I don't understand. I wouldn't let anyone get hurt... Especially not Callum...[/i][/color]

Then came the moment Darryn Fletcher was dragged in. That was the moment Anastasia knew that this may be the beginning of the end of her life. A scream caught in her throat, and she moved forward on instinct with terror in her eyes. She could tell they had been hurting him... The sweet freckled boy had only been doing what she asked. She needed to stop this. Her lips parted, but it felt as if fear gripped her by the throat, choking her so she could not speak. At first, she was not sure what was stopping her. She had always acted on impulse. But then she realized it was because part of her felt her next move would ensure her own death.

They were going to demand she give them Marek's name, and she knew she could not do it. They'd certainly kill him. When it came down to it, she was the most useless of the siblings. If she pushed her mother into a corner here and forced them all to accept her as the culprit, she was certain her parents would shrug off having her executed to keep the peace. With all the trouble she caused, she could imagine her mother laughing and talking about how much easier life would be without her. Tears brimmed in her eyes at the imagery. She had gone too far this time.

[i][color=ab274f]“Dear sister."[/color][/i]

Anastasia averted her gaze to the floor at the sound of Wulfric's voice. Her pupils dilated, and she felt herself slightly tremble as he questioned her the deadly question. She could not bring herself to answer in time. Instead, Mayet started talking, and she sounded really angry. It made her even more nervous. That feeling of perceived rejection was one that could feel like a knife stab. Things took an even worse turn when Callum tried to martyr himself before she could. 

[color=E77298][i]I have to say something now. I know mother would never let anything happen to Callum, but he will make me sound less believable. What do I say? How can I fix this?[/i][/color] The pressure worsened as Leo brought up Kazumin. Her heart sank, and she felt dizzy. [color=E77298][i]I remember he got in the carriage with us. Did he get hurt too? I don't remember what happened to him…[/i][/color] She clutched her head briefly. [color=E77298][i]What have I done?[/i][/color]

Another was quick to speak. Farim from the Alidasht was thankfully trying to spare Darryn's life.  It became soon clear that he and the Sultan wanted him questioned and she now needed to take the heat off Darryn. She knew Darryn would tiptoe around ratting her out, both because he was kind and because blaming a royal was suicide. Lady Zarai stood up for Darryn too, approaching her mother and father without fear. However, this did not surprise Anastasia as Zarai had always been someone who inspired her. After a moment, Anastasia stepped forward and first turned to the Sultan, ignoring her parents as they were addressing Zarai.

[color=E77298]"I'm the one who led everyone to the party." [/color] The Sultan seemed to have a neutral gaze upon her as she addressed him. [color=E77298]"...I know I am probably making the story more confusing since my brother just took the blame, so, um, you may think I'm covering for him... But everyone here can tell you I am the one that came to their rooms and then led them to the party."[/color] She looked at Zarai, her voice shaking, [color=E77298]"Right Lady Zarai? R-Remember how I took you guys to Callum's room to get him to come too? "[/color] Then she finally glanced at the rest of the room, her eyes moving from Mayet, to Nahir, to Leo, to Roman. Her mouth felt dry. [color=E77298]"I told them to meet me at the stables where they saw me get Darryn to drive us on a carriage. You may think I'm lying, but they all can tell you this is true. It was me singlehandedly. I took them to a location on an invitation. I receive it every few weeks, and it's usually under a warehouse or somewhere random. I'm good friends with the person who holds the event."[/color]

[color=a187be]"Anastasia..."[/color]

She was surprised it had taken until that point for her mother to interrupt. Anastasia looked over her shoulder to see the heated gaze of her mother and father. She wasn't sure what to expect them to say or think, but she felt cornered by their angered faces. Was this it? Was this the moment she feared? …The very moment she feared from a child up... This was the moment they'd cast her out. A rush of emotion and anxiety made her feel defensive and the stress leaked into her tone as she rambled on without thought, [color=E77298]"But in the end, they [i]chose[/i] to come. Because it's like you said, we're all adults. So nobody here has a right to cage us. Maybe if your stupid balls weren't so boring, we wouldn't look for somewhere else! A-And we have a right to! You can't tell us what to do anymore; we're grown up, and we can decide for ourselves what's worth the risk..."[/color]There was something about an awkward silence when one was spilling out something controversial that was deafening. She nervously looked around, unable to stop speaking.

[color=E77298]"I know none of us knew something that bad would happen, and I admit this situation wouldn't have happened if it weren't for me, but-..."[/color]If they wanted the truth, she'd give it to them. It's not like it mattered what she did anymore. [color=E77298]"But I think it's ridiculous if you expect us to feel bad we didn't ask permission from you to go. They can all do what they want, and it's twisted to throw Darryn under the wagon to cover for me. If you need someone to blame to keep things peaceful or whatever, let's at least be honest like the Sultan said. I did this-"[/color]

[color=a187be]"Just tell us who threw the party, Anastasia."[/color] The queen's voice cut through hers like a knife. 

Anastasia's breath caught momentarily as she realized the gravity of her next answer. It felt as if a spotlight was on her. Finally, she firmly replied. Anger she had boiling under the surface for years made its way into her tone as she told her lowly, [color=E77298][i]"I will never tell any of you their name. [/i]"[/color] After a careful exhale, she pressed on, [color=E77298] "I refuse to let you kill innocent people because you don’t care to investigate."[/color]