“Erina, mercy on the---!” Lady Sutherton recoiled as her daughter barreled through the halls, making various expensive décor topple from walls and shelves.

The moment she had stepped out of the room, she was on a rampage, purposely destroying with every stomp of her feet.

"Erina, stop this!” She pursued the storm of anger. "You are acting intolerable for a Sutherton lady, or the way any proper lady should! This type of behavior is unbecoming. What of Marigold's Academy for Proper ladies? Must you forget about that? Do you not think of the reputation you're getting—we're getting because of you? I'm not quite sure where this behavior is coming from, but you know your father and I feel---."

"---Anya.” She stopped whipping around to stare her mother down. “Let me say it once, save your breath." Her words cut sharp.

“Erina, I---.”

“Do not pretend that you want to start mother goosing to me now.” She glared. “You know where our boundaries are."

A frown dented Lady Sutherton's face, and she was quick to cave in. "Maybe I'm speaking too harshly. I'm sorry, dear." She swallowed hard, the sound of regret lingering on her tongue. "All of that is not what's truly important. What's important is that you know I have a good feeling about Mister Ezra being a good fit here if you cease your attempts to run him off."

"Good fit? Did you even notice his prior display of offensive behavior? His borderline back lip to me? His attitude and tone? Or maybe his whole insubordination?! He pulled a chair out on me, and both of you were witnesses!" she barked, her voice bouncing up higher as the annoyance bubbled inside her.

"Truly, Erin? Are you really going to hanker and lie about a chair?"

"Yes. Yes, I absolutely am! That was a juvenile assault on my character and physical well-being. I am injured, mother." She placed a melodramatic hand against her chest. “Look at my foot! Do you not see how I bled? It was his fault! He did it!”

"Please, not with the dramatics, Erin." She groaned.

"I am not being dramatic. I'm speaking the truth. You feel he's a good fit, and I feel he's a knotted twit."

"I don't think I know what that means,” she sighed, agonizingly.

"You don't need to know what it means to understand that I don't like him."

"Erina."

"Mother, even you must know that the lower you go, the lowborn stock lack the mind to even develop basic sense and sensibility. They are boorish, uncouth, and incredibly without manner."

"Yes, but it would be silly to suggest our family hires anything less than the qualified well-bred."

"Silly? Absolutely not. I have no certainty about that. These days, your selection is of the very disappointing variety."

"You're insulting me, Erin."

"Oh, if only that could be helped,” she sarcastically spat.

For a moment, Lady Sutherton had to ground herself. "Sweetheart." Her voice reeked of condescension. "You fell from the chair, darling. And the foot injury thing?" She laughed. "Let's not get into the habit of making things up now. Especially when you're moving fine enough to destroy half of the west wing,” she said in quick succession, briefly clenching her jaw. “So, what's making you want to tell stories? You don't normally find that necessary." She batted her eyes, reaching out to touch her daughter comfortingly.

She swiftly avoided her mother's reach with a glare. "I am not a liar. You may be to me, but I am not to you."

Lady Sutherton grimaced with a little tug of her eyes. "Listen, the situation with the gentleman, Ezra, is something your father and I already decided. No amount of storytelling will get it to change.”

"Respectable ‘gentleman’?" she mockingly questioned. "I see, the pain in my rear is just a reflection of that."

"Erin, please, let's have enough of this." She pulled a long face. "I was right across from you. I would have seen if such a debacle had happened that you didn't cause."

"Hah,” she scoffed with a fake smile. “Thank you for the support. It's unfortunate would have is not the same thing as should have."

"Then let me further, both your father and I saw nothing,” she pressed.

"I guess that leaves you two blind or death."

Lady Sutherton glowered, struggling to appeal to her daughter’s sense. "Darling, listen to me. All I saw was a man who showed genuine concern for you, despite your behavior."

"Genuine concern? Is that what it looked like to you?"

"Yes.” She sighed, rubbing circles in her temples. “Don't you recognize how rare it is to find a person who will show care to you in the way he did? He was emotionally tied to doing the right thing and...it was quite moving. I can't believe you didn't see it."

"Somebody is quite the cheering advocate for him." She narrowed her eyes. "You seem to rather fancy him an awful lot. Should Lord Sutherton be worried?"

"Erina! How dare you suggest that?"

"How dare I?” Her eyes were cut into slits. “Perhaps it is you who should stop with the play pretend.”

Her mother shrunk, tossing panicked glances around the halls. Inhaling sharply, she put on a flaccid pressed lip smile. “I understand, you are upset.”

“I am.”

"Listen, Erina, I know you don’t like Mister Ezra but getting rid of him---."

"---That would be a good starter."

"Look, if we were to get rid of him so suddenly there'd be no way we could find a replacement in time. Plus, added to the fact that we've just hired him, I don't think that's a reasonable request."

She pruned her lips. "Alright, if you like him so much then keep him, Anya, by all means, keep your sniveling, lowlife, damsel dandy boy. But be certain to keep him away from me and the perimeter of this entire property."

"Now, now, that's not sensible." She chortled in a jittery panic.

"And what is the family motto? Never a vow broken and never a true will bespoken." She emphasized with a glare.

"Yes, but darling,” she said, stretching a taut smile, “I can’t make you any such promises.”

"Huh, wouldn't that be rare?"

Her breath caught in her throat. Stunted, she spoke cautiously. "Why do you think that way? You know I try my best to do well for you."

Erin rolled her eyes, finding ridicule at even the suggestion. There was an unspoken truth already known between them that both knew it was a lie.

"Heaven, I always wonder how we manage to waste our breath.” There was a burn on her tongue and a sting in her distant gaze.

"Listen, Erina, I---ahem!" Lady Sutherton cleared her throat, frown deepening. "I get you're a bit upset. I understand that."

"Do you really?"

"Yes---ahem." She cleared her throat again, looking at her daughter with a sorrowful wince. "I do. That's why I think I know what will patch this up. What if I bought you a pretty little island where you could vacation with all your friends? Maybe invite the Clarks as well?"

"No."

"But it's been so long since you've seen the Clarks, haven't you---?"

"Perhaps it's because they were exiled---or my apologies, they’ve ‘quit’ to the Dreaded Exclaves to not disturb ‘Great Kaelix Pact of Peace’ ?"

"W-what?" She stuttered, eyes bulging from their sockets. "When-when did this happen? I had absolutely no idea such a thing happened---."

"---You didn't want to. You never want to."

For a moment, they held stares before Lady Sutherton feebly continued. "I’m sure the Clarks are fine. Quitting from civilization to retreat into the Dreaded Exclaves does not have to mean the worst.”

“Oh, I dare you to say that again and mean it.”

Frowning, she cleared her throat again, visibly growing weaker at her daughter's disquieting responses. “Let’s us talk of more pleasant things. I am sure there is something I can buy you to placate---er, please your mind?”

"Really? Buy me something else?" she angrily started, derisive critical tone rising. "Why do you think I would want another thing you desperately throw out from the caverns of your purse?" She took gradual menacing stomps toward her apprehensive mother.

"W-What do you mean, why? I know how much happier and composed you'd be if we bought you something new and---."

"---Again, there's that phrase, 'Buy me something new' ?" she jeered. "Every single day you offer the same solution to different problems. What's new about that?"

"What do you mean, darling?" She spoke lowly. "You love all the gifts your father and I get you. So, I'm sure we can find you something you'll like such as new shoes or—."

"---No!" she said, jumping down her mother's throat. "Heaven, what don't you understand? You know what this is really about! You know what I truly want!"

"Mister Ezra is not----."

"---No, that's not what I’m talking about! Of course, I want that man was gone, and every other replacement you can think of next. And of course, I don't want to deal with anymore Reynolds, Cullens, Mayflowers, Radcliffes, and all of your bumbling watchful idiots you manage to procure!”

“Then what is it you want?”

“Sabina. I need to see Sabina. That's all I've ever wanted, and it is all I will ever want until I know that she's okay after all that’s happened."

"Again, about Sabina?" She viewed her in astonishment. “She said herself that she is sick. She is not in any state to be seen or visited."

"That’s not good enough for me." Erin folded her arms over her chest, a frown merging into her grimace. “I have to see her."

"Well, I'm not going to go through this again. Your father already explained whatever needed to be said."

"Anya---mother, don't do this to me, please. I'm begging you. She said she was fine, and that everything was alright. But we haven’t seen or heard from her since. Did the First Prince give you any information, such as where she is?”

“You read what she wrote. She’s resting.”

“Where? I can’t go without seeing her or go another month without speaking to her. Do you understand me? I cannot and I will not."

She looked away from her daughter.

"Anya, please, why will you not tell me?" Her lips trembled, and she barely suppressed the shuddering clattering in her bones. "You are torturing me like this. You make me feel like something is wrong. Like there is something more going on."

Lady Sutherton's eyes fluttered. "What more do you want out of me? I don't have anything else to tell you. If I did I would have told you. All she said was that she was resting."

"You want to know what’s wrong with mother? I’ll tell you. Sebastian? Gone. Fiorella? Gone. And Sabina? I don't know, and I’m scared that I do not know.”

"Don’t speak so melodramatically. Sebastian is not gone, and we've already told you Sabina is sick. Prince Kaelixson-Nier cares and loves her so dearly, that he is certain to ensure she gets better. Thus, until that time, we wait."

"Wait? How can we wait? Sabina didn't come here that night hemorrhaging and screaming bloody Mary unless something was wrong!"

"The best course of action is to let things be left alone."

"You know she said he hit her." Her voice trembled.

A boulder formed in her throat. "Everything has good reason, Erina."

"With child?" She narrowed her eyes. "Tell me, does that leave room for 'good' reason?"

"Nier is just doing his very best to keep both of the people he cares for safe."

She inhaled sharply. "Mother, I'm asking you sincerely, and be true if it is the only time, you can. Do you know where Sabina is?"

Lady Sutherton folded her arms over her chest protectively. "She's being taken care of for her condition. You read what I read."

“But besides letter correspondences, you’ve spoken to her in the flesh, in person?"

"Yes.” Her mouth was dry. “She seemed well."

"Then when will I be able to visit her?"

Her mother fell silent.

"Please." Erin urged her, dampness in her eyes. "Leverage with me. I’ll keep my mouth shut, and I’ll cease you any frustration, you just have to give me something."

“Darling.” She reached out to her, placing a careful graze on her daughter's shoulder. “Why don't you and I just figure out what you would like to have? I know I can make you feel much better with some new things like—-."

She smacked her mother's hand away.

She wasn't sure what she was expecting at all. But she knew she was embarrassed at herself for even thinking of hoping to expect anything.

"Right. How stupid could I could be?" She quickly dismissed her thoughts, eyes falling towards the ground. "It's clear there's no point in this matter when I'm talking to string-puppet who can do not without a command and will not do even if given the chance." She scornfully scoffed, briskly walking ahead.