[center][h1][color=Khaki]Nik[/color] & [color=slateblue]Ari[/color][/h1]
[h3]Flashback[/h3]
[h3][color=Khaki]Location:[/color] Edwards Estate [color=Slateblue]Time:[/color] Ignis 5 Evening[/h3]
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Ari lingered just inside her doorway, one hand resting against the carved wood as she watched Nik’s back disappear down the corridor. His footsteps faded into the hush of the manor, swallowed by thick carpets and stone walls. She found herself staring a moment longer than she meant to, curiosity prickling beneath the exhaustion.

With a soft exhale, she turned away and slipped into her room, closing the door behind her.

The space beyond it felt like a contradiction only Ari could have created. What had once been a pristine, stuffy chamber befitting a noble daughter now looked as though Rapunzel herself had claimed it and never quite finished unpacking. Hand-painted details crept across the walls—delicate vines, half-faded florals, little creatures hidden in the corners if you looked closely enough. Books were everywhere, stacked in precarious towers on tables and the floor alike, their spines cracked and loved. Bundles of herbs and dried flowers hung from hooks and beams, filling the air with a faint, earthy sweetness. It was chaotic, warm… undeniably hers. Seeing her touch layered over the manor’s former perfection was still strange, even to her.

She crossed into the bathroom, the marble cool beneath her bare feet, and shed the weight of the day piece by piece. The white silk nightgown slid over her skin, hanging from two thin straps that rested lightly on her shoulders, the fabric falling into ornate, almost too-delicate detailing. She followed it with a matching silk robe, tying it loosely before gathering her hair up into a messy bun atop her head. A few rebellious tendrils of red escaped immediately, curling around her face as if they, too, refused restraint.

Ari paused at the mirror.

She sighed, biting her lower lip as her reflection stared back at her. Pale. Too pale. Her eyes were shadowed, darkened by fatigue and something heavier she didn’t want to name. The bruises stood out cruelly against her skin—one blooming along her shoulder, another dark and unmistakable near her head. She lifted a hand, fluffing a strand of hair forward in a futile attempt to obscure the worst of it, then tugged the robe higher over her shoulders, as though silk could hide it. 

It didn’t, but it would have to do.

Turning away, she left the bathroom and crossed the room toward a second door. When she opened it, she revealed the adjoining guest suite beyond. It lacked her flair entirely. No painted walls, no cluttered books, no hanging herbs. The space was still lavish, still undeniably part of a rich manor, but untouched by her chaos. Immaculate. Preserved.

This was where her governess had once stayed.

It hadn’t changed since then. The housekeepers kept it pristine, free of dust and time, as if its occupant might return at any moment. The bed was large, the furnishings elegant, and beyond it lay a private guest bath, all connected neatly back to Ari’s own room by the shared door she now stood in.

A few minutes turned to several as Nik tried to find his way around the kitchen. There were a few straggling servants who gave him looks, but helped him and a vegetable broth wasn’t exactly hard. But, it took him a few tries to get it home he remembered his mother making it. Well, close enough anyway. He just needed to get some nutrients into her system, she’d looked awful and he knew that broth would go down easy and likely not upset her stomach as much. 

The servants helped him find a tray and before too much longer, he was heading back up the stairs to Ari’s room. Luckily, even if he’d had a terrible memory, her door stuck out like a lighthouse against the lavishness of the estate at large. It was a beacon of creativity and personality, something he thought the rest of the place lacked. 

He propped the tray up into one hand, balancing it carefully, and knocked firmly at her door. [color=khaki]”It’s me.”[/color] He spoke.

Ari nearly fell over, catching herself on the door of the guest room. She felt her heart nearly jump from her chest as she caught her breath. The situation at the tavern must have really stuck with her as she felt some flashbacks of the event. 

[color=slateblue]”Come in.”[/color] she said slightly breathless as she used the door frame for support, trying desperately to compose herself before Nik noticed. 

His eyes narrowed as he heard a quiet thud from inside her room. He couldn’t place what the sound was, but it stuck out in his mind. He reached for the handle and pushed the door open, his other hand still balancing the tray. He couldn’t help it as his gaze passed over her figure. He hadn’t necessarily been lying about not giving taking her to bed a second thought if she had been anyone else. Then again, Nik would sleep with any remotely attractive woman, so that didn’t say too terribly much. 

[color=khaki]”I’ve brought you some broth. Hopefully you can have some of it before bed and it won’t upset your stomach.”[/color] He explained, now taking the tray in both hands so he could more easily carry it inside. He glanced at her torso, his eyes darting to the bruise peaking out from the silk robe. Looked like it hurt. 

[color=khaki]”If you don’t want it, don’t eat it. I’m not going to force you.”[/color] He continued as he took the tray over to the table by her bed. [color=khaki]”Whether you want to feel better or not is up to you.”[/color] 

Nik looked back at her again, watching how weak and fragile she looked. For an independent woman, he could understand how that feeling might be frustrating. Help would feel like a slap to the face, regardless of how warm or kind. His gaze shifted to the bruise again. 

Oblivious to his glances, Ariella’s eyes fell to the tray on her nightstand. Watching the steam dance out of the bowl of hot broth as the smell of its inviting flavor hit her nose. Her stomach turned with hunger and nausea. 

It felt slightly silly but she was strangely touched by the gesture. This man, this stranger, took more time out of his day to ensure she was taking care of herself. He put in more effort in the last 20 minutes than her mother ever had. Then again, he was being paid. 

Trying to not linger on it, Ari smiled softly [color=slateblue]”Thank you, I think my Father would be very happy with your efforts."[/color] she looked up at him. No one other than her brothers had ever been in her room before, not even Callum. Nik’s eyes narrowed for a fraction of a second at her comment. There was a very small part of him that felt slightly insulted by her comment, but he couldn’t refute that he’d mostly done it because of his position. While he would have slept with her in different circumstances, he definitely wouldn’t have made her food.

She felt slightly exposed but she also didn’t feel worried about it. 

Gesturing to the guest room she looked over her shoulder then back towards him still using the door frame as support. 

[color=slateblue]”This is your room. There is a large king bed, a wardrobe for when your things arrive. Private bathroom… and I'm sure I can arrange for the housekeepers to start servicing your bedroom. Though I do ask, for my sake… that you don't make one of them number 84…or was it was 85.”[/color] She tried to hold in her laughter. 

[color=slateblue]”They bring breakfast to your room each morning around 8:00. After that, well the day is yours."[/color] she couldn’t help but wonder if he was used to this way of living. 

Shuffling out of the way of the door she made room for him to explore the room if he wished. 

Nik walked towards the door, pausing as he passed her. [color=khaki]”No promises.”[/color] He replied, his voice barely above a whisper. [color=khaki]”If you need me, I’ll be just beyond this door.”[/color] He added, his tone returning to it’s normal cadence again. He offered her a smile. 

[i]if you need me..[/i] his voice whispering in her mind as she nodded trying to play it off. 

[color=khaki]”Please consider my position in all of this. If something feels wrong, if you don’t feel safe, if you need help, don’t leave me in the dark. We share similar cages, you and I.”[/color] Nik pleaded, his voice genuinely sounding concerned. 

Her emerald gaze met him as she paused for a moment taking in his words. Why did she already feel so trusting of a stranger? It was as if she knew him but she had never met him before. 

Reaching for the door she smiled. 

[color=slateblue]”Goodnight..”[/color] She said softly shutting the door between with care. 

Nik stood by the door for a moment, even after it closed. Listening. Listening for her faint footsteps to hear if she was heading for the broth he’d made her. Eventually, feeling a little silly about it, he walked away.

Ari stared at the door for a moment, her eyes glancing back towards the hot bowl of broth. Her arms instinctively raising and wrapping around herself as she let a breath out that felt like she had been holding in for some time.