1866-02-23: When Hope Dies
When Hope Dies
Summary: Emilia gets a response…and it does not make for pleasant news (OOC Warning : Standard emo warning as it is a teenage girl…Oh and there is an appearance by the Voices)
Date: 1866-02-23
Related: All Emilia/Aughen things, most recently The Cost of Duty
NPCs: {$npc}
Players:
Emilia  

After the previous night, Emilia had actually welcomed the request from Nalkor to go over some of daily business for the manse. It offered an escape from any potential social obligations or requests that might come up. Even if the likely hood of that was slim. Granted, she had thought that upon arriving to Firen as well and how wrong she had been proven.

It had proven to be an uneventful morning with her brother's steward, but the matters were simple things that she could provide direction and answers to, saving the days or weeks it might take for missives to pass between Nalkor and Henric to cover such trivial matters. The more important issues would still be his to cover, and he's still be informed of her input. And rightly the bulk of the conversation had ended up being about Henric himself with Nalkor inquiring after his health and well being. The question was not unexpected, all considering what had occurred the last time they had both been in Firen.

In some ways it had been a relief to talk to someone who expressed genuine concern about him, even if Emilia still could not quite speak entirely freely and openly about her own worries and concerns. It had been a welcome enough change. Though word had come that those dispatched with the message to the Queen's Herd had returned, and there was an added bit of energy as she headed to the sitting room where they awaited her.

The two guards turned and offered bows to her upon her entry, Emilia's dark eyes skimmed over them and quickly searched the room with that hope to find someone else having come with them. As soon as it had been confirmed she was coming to Firen, she had sent added word after her letter. But the hope slowly died in her eyes in finding no other. Her gaze returning to the men before her. "You were of delivering the letter, of the message to mine-shepherd? What news is there of in return?"

It was the elder of the two that took a step forward as he spoke to address her, "Lady Emilia, yes we traveled to the southern pastures to deliver your letter to Master Aughen. Find him and the others we did. But he declined to send any message in return."

Emilia's shoulders sank a little at this news. Her dark eyes searching the guard's face as she clutched to some flicker of hope yet as the next question that crossed her lips, "He will becoming himself then? In having heard I have come to Firen, of aye?" Certainly he could not have just dropped everything and returned with the guards, but would be arriving in the next day or two, once he had worked it with the other shepherds to take the turn of leave.

The guard shook his head, "I am afraid, m'lady, that he will not becoming." He paused before he continued in a softer tone, "I am sorry, Lady Emilia, but Master Aughen had no desire to send word or come see you. I am afraid he requested that you cease trying to contact him."

As the words sunk in, it felt like she'd been hit in the chest. The way she couldn't draw breathe in that moment, the pain that came. She'd worried about this, but there had always been hope. Hope she'd been wrong, that everything would be sorted and she'd just been silly. Hope that the pledge he'd made to her that one night was true. But she had been silly to hope, to think any could actually have interest, to care about her like that. To hope for something that was 'normal'. What hint of light, that spark of hope that had been in her eyes, faded away as the news sunk in and the thoughts, realizations came. Her usual solemn expression deepening into something more even more mournful.

A breathe was finally drawn as she pulled her gaze back to the two men, pulling herself from her thoughts enough to murmur, "I am of seeing." Her head inclined to the two guards in way of dismissal as she added, "Of thanking for seeing the messages delivered." Before she turned away and walked over to the window, taking to looking out of it but seeing nothing as she fell back into her thoughts.

We told you. None will ever see you, understand you. Not like us. You are ours. We are yours. There is no other way.

The two Cassomir House Guards bowed to the Lady Cassomir as they were dismissed. Though she had already started to turn away. Before they retreated from the room to leave the young woman to her thoughts.

Sweet-heart…piksey-mite…She was no longer these things. Silent tears started to fall as those long had worries became reality this day. As hope faded and died. She had been wrong to ever hope…..


It was not until they had left the room and were heading down the main hall that Delven spoke up, "Why did you tell her that? That wasn't the way of it."

Heron shot the younger guard a look, "And what? You'd have me tell her the truth of what we witnessed. It was a kindness to do it that way. Better to leave it simple and over quick."

"Doesn't seem like it was a kindness," Delven shooting a look back towards the room and recalling the look on Emilia's face. It had been heart breaking to watch the change that had come over her. "And what if…"

The question was cut off before it was out by the older guard, "Doesn't matter. It is for the best. For her, for the House. You really think her keeping company with a shepherd is in any one's best interests? Except that shepherd's? Especially after what ya saw? " Heron pulled out the undelivered letter and fed it to the fire as they passed the hearth in the foyer. "Her brother is soon enough going to be the King. Best be remembering that."

Delven gave the burning letter a uncertain look. "I remember that well enough. Just…. Doesn't seem right, snuffing out that one bit of happiness that…." The sharp look from Heron had him cutting his words off.

It was a long hard look that Heron gave him as he asked, "You really think that lad would end up making her happy in the long run?"

"I….well…I guess maybe not," the younger guard having to concede the fact as he thought back to their trip to the southern pastures.

Heron gave a curt nod, "Remember that. Now quit pondering over it, we got our own duties to get back to." Continuing out of the manse and on to the guard house.

Delven gave nod, "Course." Though he lingered a moment to give a last look at the last reminisce of the letter and a glance back to where they had left Emilia before following after the other guard.

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