Sephora couldn't stomach eating breakfast on the morning of the awaited peace-meeting. She felt sick, she hadn't been sleeping well since getting back from that night at Vince's court - at this point she just wanted it to be all over, so she could stop worrying about it.Ravyn had decided to be present for the peace-meeting, after all. Sephora could only admire the strength and courage that female possessed, when she'd informed Sephora of her decision in the breakfast room. Apparently, Ravyn still had to have a bit of nerves about what was to come, as she didn't have a morsel to eat either - Sephora only hoped there wasn't going to be a symphony of growling stomachs during the talks, because of it.Joe had walked in soon after, already dressed in his freshly polished armor. He chirped a happy good morning to the two ladies, before grabbing an apple, throwing it to his mouth and walking back out again - and that was that, the entire span of the General's attendance that morning. Sephor
“What are you talking about?” Ambrose spat, leaning forward in his chair. His full attention now on the dark Lord, who was smiling like a Cheshire cat.It wasn’t entirely an act, when Sephora’s eyebrows furrowed, looking confused at Vince. What did he mean by surrender? He said nothing in their plan about wanting Ambrose to surrender. Surely all he had to do, was wait for Sephora to find him a route to the veil-stones. For Vince to be asking for a surrender, would mean-“What is he talking about?” Ambrose whirled upon Sephora, his green eyes flashing with confusion and wrath.Sephora almost trembled at the anger in his voice, but she could only shake her head, “I – I don’t know.”She turned her head to Vince, who seemed to be enjoying their confusion. Ravyn had gone silent over in the corner, and was now staring at Sephora wide-eyed, no doubt suspecting the worst. Even Joe now looked to Sephora, his dark eyes questioning. But Sephora didn't dare say a word, not when she could possibly
Ambrose let out a frustrated cry, throwing his hands in the air, “No, Sephora!” His face almost became pleading, “He’s not going to just change the veil-stones, he’s going to destroy them!”Sephora blinked, the breath suddenly knocked out from her. “What? But he – ”“You can’t just change the veil-stones, Sephora.” Ambrose had stopped shouting, and now his voice almost sounded like he was pleading for her to understand. “He has to destroy them, before he can create a second Veil. Which he can only create with new veil-stones – which he can’t do without the consent of all the Lords. And he can’t destroy the veil-stones, without exposing all of humanity to our atmosphere, and killing half of them!”Sephora could only shake her head. She couldn’t believe it, Vince had manipulated her. And yet it wasn’t a surprise. But this was all her fault. She’d set this army into Ambrose’s lands, which he now had to go and defend. After all her efforts to stop a war from happening, all she’d done was
Sephora's breathing was ragged, her throat burning as hot as the flames around her, from her screaming. That's right. Flames, fire. Engulfing her, surrounding her, protecting her - as Vince continued to gape at her from over the other side of the throne room. Where he'd been blasted back from the sheer force of her explosion.Sephora was trembling, trembling from fear and horror. Fear at her Soulborn power, that was now turning the floor and walls around her, into a glowing molten ore. Fear at the dark Lord before her, who could still strike back at her at anytime with that darkness. That terrifying, hideous darkness, that held her back, that had chained her to the wall while he...Her knees buckled from beneath her, just as a whirl of shadows speared into the room, from the corner of Sephora's vision. She waited for the shadows to hit her, to hold her down - to stifle her flames. But nothing happened, Sephora forced herself to stand upright, despite her legs feeling like someone had
[Sephora]In the week that followed, Sephora had taken to her chambers and did not leave them - not even to go and eat. She couldn't stomach it - any of it.No matter how many times she bathed and washed herself - she never felt clean. She could still feel everywhere that Vince had touched, that he'd kissed and caressed. She could still feel the chains of darkness around her wrists, ankles and throat - so much so, that there were often nights when she would wake up screaming. Her entire room would be engulfed in flames that didn't burn, but only searched for some invisible threat.And everytime without fail, Ravyn would instantly be by her side. She would materialize into Sephora's room, her shadows soothing and hushing her flames until they extinguished, and Sephora was left trembling and sweating in her bed, eyes wide. Ravyn hadn't even hesitated, she sat herself on her Lady's bed, calming her down, and quietly asking Sephora to speak the nightmare out loud to her.Sephora had refuse
Ravyn's eyes burned with their own fire now, as she swung her legs off the chair to lean forward across the table, to put down her tea. "You were not the one who let Vince's armies into Ambrose's lands - so stop blaming yourself. You were not the one to build up Vince's armies in order to start a war - so stop blaming yourself. And you were not the one who accepted Vince's invitation to come to the palace, he didn't have to come - so you need to stop blaming yourself."Tears were now streaming down Sephora's face once again. Tears of relief, because everything Ravyn was saying was true. She should stop blaming herself - she was just a pawn in another's game. She was of little consequence, in comparison to what Vince had been planning for years. She didn't realise how much guilt she'd been carrying, until it finally lifted off her in that moment. All thanks to the Shadow's belief in her.Ravyn got up from her chair to crouch before Sephora, her hands braced on Sephora's knees - and for
Sephora frowned, now completely oblivious to the half-eaten carrot still in her hand, "Ravyn never told you what was going on?"Joe scoffed and gave Sephora a long look, that answered her question, but he elaborated all the same, "That sneaky little Shadow doesn't tell me anything. The only times she's ever spoken to me was to hurl insults at me, or reprimand me on my table manners - that or she has some comment to make on how I 'objectify' females."As if she'd been there the entire time, Ravyn appeared from behind the General from a cloud of mist. Sephora's eyes flicked to the Shadow's and she had to bite on her lip to stop from laughing. Joe followed Sephora's gaze, that was no longer on him and he slowly closed his eyes with dread."Shit." He rasped. Sephora snickered, as Ravyn walked round to stand beside Sephora with a bemused smirk."Indeed." She purred to the General, who now looked like he wanted to melt into the floor. Ravyn huffed a laugh, "Didn't anyone warn you that the w
Sephora slowly walked down the marble hallways leading to Ambrose's study. She may have taken the slightly longer route up to the second floor of the palace, and may have stared out of more than one window on the way down. It was as though all the confidence she had down in the breakfast room, had been drained away and now she was a dawdling nervous wreck. She had no idea what she was going to say to him. None. What do you say to your mate after you've been avoiding him for a week, betrayed his trust, and flinched away from him after being forced upon by his greatest rival?Sephora only hoped the words would find her once she made it to Ambrose's study. But that wasn't the only thing Sephora was worrying about. Ambrose hadn't attended a single one of his council meetings, and after her not leaving her bedchamber for the whole week. His people must feel completely abandoned, and right after they'd just suffered losses from Vince's attack on the veil-stones. Sephora realised they both n