Eventually, Lucas came and escorted Amara to the ballroom. She was in a good enough mood that she almost didn't mind. She could certainly pretend it was a fine time, though. She entered the ballroom, smiling, and immediately was set upon by Lucas introducing her to scores of famous people. Dancers, actors, actresses... some of them she only knew from magazines, some she knew from movies or shows. Some she knew had been in various theaters. She never expected to ever even see them in real life though, let alone meet them.Lucas continued the introductions for a short time, and then left her on her own. She started to panic a little, but the people were very friendly, and those who weren't didn't stick around to sour the mood.After at least a half hour or more of this, her head was reeling. She loved it, but it was a lot. Laughing, wishing she had something for autographs, wishing she knew where Declan was... but knowing he was there, probably meeting actors and maybe even chefs. Amara

Amara woke up, on her bed, hearing a soothing tone of baladi music in the background. Relaxing. What? She had been angry... And she was sore—Dancing. Lucas. Declan. Serenius.Anger flaring, she jolted upright."Careful. The dosage my father gave you may have been off. You could be dizzy." Aurora."Yeah, really?" she snarked. Aurora. Amara did feel dizzy but she swung her legs over anyway, not about to stay down.Aurora sighed. "Your funeral. There's a thermos of hot chocolate for you."Amara scoffed at her and stood, and instantly fell to the ground, swearing."Do you want help?"She didn't have time for this. She exclaimed and kicked out, somehow not hitting anything. She exhaled irately. "Where."Aurora sighed and knelt in front of her on one knee, hand held out. "C'mon. Up you get. Back on the bed. I'll bring it over."Amara took her hand and pulled herself up, standing with the soreness which woke her more, but did not help the dizziness. She scowled. "Where is he?" she got out t

It was a week and a half later, but Amara did manage to see Declan again. She'd been cooperative, enough. More than usual, actually. Because she didn't have the energy to fight as much. Or the will. Oh, she wanted to. But the fire behind it all was losing strength. That was probably the real reason Lucas was allowing her to see Declan; she was hardly even dancing lately.Declan was cooking now. Her stomach still churned at the thought of food, but she could deal with it to see Declan. And cooking was a way he dealt with stress, with life, with anything. If she could see him smile again, that would help her.She was escorted to a door to the kitchen, and allowed to open it herself. Declan was on his own, and didn't even notice anyone else existed. He had things on a stove, things on a chopping board, probably had some things scattered in places he'd forgotten about for the moment. And he had a spoon, was singing to it off-key as he danced between his work stations. Anyone else there wo