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"Natalia! you promised me you would take care of her!" Natalia stared coldly back at her cousin. That was a bit rich coming from him. He'd been in central for days now, and for that entire time, he'd not only avoided Rilly like the plague, but actually had the audacity to spend his nights at the Palace's Gala balls with the legions of women that vied for the Prince's attention. Did he even consider how Rilly would feel if she heard about that? Natalia had made absolutely sure that not a word of it would reach the young woman's ears, but that did not change the fact that Seth's erratic behaviour was really starting to tick her off. He had not even shown up to testify at the Northern noble's trial. Did he not understand that Rilly faced the death sentence if convicted?! And then he had the nerve to lecture her about protecting the girl?! That made Natalia very angry. Natalia's voice was loud and furious when she began her tirade against Seth.

"I can't believe you! You've been in central for days now, and you've spent every night here with at least one of those Noble tramps! Are you completely shameless?! And Rilly--"

"Natalia! She chose Nigel. That's it. That's all there is to it. If she can be with whoever she wants, why can't I? If I want to spend my time with the Noblewomen of the court, then I damn well will!"

"But you haven't even spoke to her! You don't know what happened. The story just doesn't fit together. Seth, Please--"

"I don't want to speak to her, Natalia! I don't even want to see her! All I want, all I need right now, is to forget I ever even spent time in the North. I just want to forget her. Will you please stop making this more difficult than it has to be?"

"No. And your decidedly odd relationship with her aside, why have you not appeared in court?"

"I told you, its because I don't want to see her!"

"Seth! You have a legal responsibility to--"

"Nat--"

The sound of raised voices brought Rilly running into the room to find the Prince and the Princess face to face, irradiating a foreboding air of hostility. Their conversation came to an abrupt stop when as they both looked to the door in response to the sound of footsteps.

Natalia's anger quickly turned into nervousness. Up to this point she'd kept everything that had been happening from Rilly. From the moment she had met up with Seth in the Royal carriage back at the Tricadon-Northern Aquamarania border, and Seth had told her about everything that had happened in the week he'd spent in the North, and finally, left Rilly in her care, she'd ensured that no news about Seth reached Rilly. Part of her did not want to see Rilly hurt, but the other part of her did not want Rilly's image of Seth to be destroyed. It was true that he was being an idiot, and she did not understand why he was acting the way he was, but what Natalia was sure of was that he loved Rilly. She chanced a glance at Seth to see how he had reacted to seeing her. His gaze was intense. He was looking at Rilly as if she was the only woman in the world. She returned that intense gaze, and the unbroken line between them made Natalia feel like an intruder.

Seth could not believe that she had found him. Hadn't he said a million times that he did not want to see her? Yet his traitorous heart beat steadily faster at the mere sight of her. God, she was beautiful. The shorter strands of her hair stuck to her face as if it were wet. Had she been crying? Her eyes gazed intensily at him, asking why he hadn't been by her side the last few days. Why had he left her to go to Nostra? Why? That made his stomach feel sick. He definitely did not want to have that conversation here. Not now. Rilly started walking towards him; she looked a bit like a sleepwalker. Every fibre of him being screamed at him to bolt. A feeling of panic rose in his chest. If she came any closer--If she touched him--Seth couldn't bare it. He would break down in front of her, and she would find out just how much control she had over his heart. He did not want to appear weak in front of Rilly. Yet despite wanting to leave, Seth felt rooted to the floor--held in place by those eyes of hers. He did not move until she had come right up to him. She was close enough that he could see the redness in her eyes. She had been crying. Was it his fault? Could it be that she had been as tortured to be apart from him as he was from her? She loves Nigel, Seth reminded himself.

An interruption to Seth's thoughts came when Rilly suddenly chose to wrap her arms tightly around his waist. He glanced over at Natalia who stood silently watching, as heat quickly arose in his neck in response to Rilly's touch. Her body. It was so warm. God, he missed her so much. Seth lifted his arms, he wanted to hold her tightly and never let go. Instead, he closed his hands into fists. He would not hold her. She had chosen Nigel. If he held her now, he would only be making an even bigger fool of himself than he already had. He needed to get away from her, or he would surly break. Seth put his hands on Rilly's shoulders, meaning to push her away. He couldn't. Even if she had chosen Nigel, he could not push her away. It was because he was weak. His heart wanted to hold her tight, but he would not permit himself to. He wanted to push her away, but couldn't. Was he stuck like this? Seth wanted to laugh at the irony. This was exactly the situation he'd been stuck in for days now. Wanting desperately to get away from her, but unable to let go. Wanting even more desperately to rush to her side but preventing himself from doing something so shameless.

"Rilly...Please. let go of me." His voice was cool and calm. That same voice he'd trained himself to use over the years, that betrayed nothing of the turmoil that was raging inside him. She'd heard his request, but must have not been able to make any sense out of it. After a moment she let her arms drop to her sides, but she did not step back from him. Once she had let go, Seth snagged his chance at an escape. He turned away from Rilly and swiftly walked passed her, and out the door, leaving her and Natalia standing silently in an empty room.

Tears streamed silently down Rilly's face. Natalia could not even raise a hand of comfort, but simply watched the other woman cry. Each tear was hot and painful. Natalia understood that. There was nothing she could say.

Description
"Natalia! you promised me you would take care of her!" Natalia stared coldly back at her cousin. That was a bit rich coming from him. He'd been in central for days now, and for that entire time, he'd not only avoided Rilly like the plague, but actually had the audacity to spend his nights at the Palace's Gala balls with the legions of women that vied for the Prince's attention. Did he even consider how Rilly would feel if she heard about that? Natalia had made absolutely sure that not a word of it would reach the young woman's ears, but that did not change the fact that Seth's erratic behaviour was really starting to tick her off. He had not even shown up to testify at the Northern noble's trial. Did he not understand that Rilly faced the death sentence if convicted?! And then he had the nerve to lecture her about protecting the girl?! That made Natalia very angry. Natalia's voice was loud and furious when she began her tirade against Seth.

"I can't believe you! You've been in central for days now, and you've spent every night here with at least one of those Noble tramps! Are you completely shameless?! And Rilly--"

"Natalia! She chose Nigel. That's it. That's all there is to it. If she can be with whoever she wants, why can't I? If I want to spend my time with the Noblewomen of the court, then I damn well will!"

"But you haven't even spoke to her! You don't know what happened. The story just doesn't fit together. Seth, Please--"

"I don't want to speak to her, Natalia! I don't even want to see her! All I want, all I need right now, is to forget I ever even spent time in the North. I just want to forget her. Will you please stop making this more difficult than it has to be?"

"No. And your decidedly odd relationship with her aside, why have you not appeared in court?"

"I told you, its because I don't want to see her!"

"Seth! You have a legal responsibility to--"

"Nat--"

The sound of raised voices brought Rilly running into the room to find the Prince and the Princess face to face, irradiating a foreboding air of hostility. Their conversation came to an abrupt stop when as they both looked to the door in response to the sound of footsteps.

Natalia's anger quickly turned into nervousness. Up to this point she'd kept everything that had been happening from Rilly. From the moment she had met up with Seth in the Royal carriage back at the Tricadon-Northern Aquamarania border, and Seth had told her about everything that had happened in the week he'd spent in the North, and finally, left Rilly in her care, she'd ensured that no news about Seth reached Rilly. Part of her did not want to see Rilly hurt, but the other part of her did not want Rilly's image of Seth to be destroyed. It was true that he was being an idiot, and she did not understand why he was acting the way he was, but what Natalia was sure of was that he loved Rilly. She chanced a glance at Seth to see how he had reacted to seeing her. His gaze was intense. He was looking at Rilly as if she was the only woman in the world. She returned that intense gaze, and the unbroken line between them made Natalia feel like an intruder.

Seth could not believe that she had found him. Hadn't he said a million times that he did not want to see her? Yet his traitorous heart beat steadily faster at the mere sight of her. God, she was beautiful. The shorter strands of her hair stuck to her face as if it were wet. Had she been crying? Her eyes gazed intensily at him, asking why he hadn't been by her side the last few days. Why had he left her to go to Nostra? Why? That made his stomach feel sick. He definitely did not want to have that conversation here. Not now. Rilly started walking towards him; she looked a bit like a sleepwalker. Every fibre of him being screamed at him to bolt. A feeling of panic rose in his chest. If she came any closer--If she touched him--Seth couldn't bare it. He would break down in front of her, and she would find out just how much control she had over his heart. He did not want to appear weak in front of Rilly. Yet despite wanting to leave, Seth felt rooted to the floor--held in place by those eyes of hers. He did not move until she had come right up to him. She was close enough that he could see the redness in her eyes. She had been crying. Was it his fault? Could it be that she had been as tortured to be apart from him as he was from her? She loves Nigel, Seth reminded himself.

An interruption to Seth's thoughts came when Rilly suddenly chose to wrap her arms tightly around his waist. He glanced over at Natalia who stood silently watching, as heat quickly arose in his neck in response to Rilly's touch. Her body. It was so warm. God, he missed her so much. Seth lifted his arms, he wanted to hold her tightly and never let go. Instead, he closed his hands into fists. He would not hold her. She had chosen Nigel. If he held her now, he would only be making an even bigger fool of himself than he already had. He needed to get away from her, or he would surly break. Seth put his hands on Rilly's shoulders, meaning to push her away. He couldn't. Even if she had chosen Nigel, he could not push her away. It was because he was weak. His heart wanted to hold her tight, but he would not permit himself to. He wanted to push her away, but couldn't. Was he stuck like this? Seth wanted to laugh at the irony. This was exactly the situation he'd been stuck in for days now. Wanting desperately to get away from her, but unable to let go. Wanting even more desperately to rush to her side but preventing himself from doing something so shameless.

"Rilly...Please. let go of me." His voice was cool and calm. That same voice he'd trained himself to use over the years, that betrayed nothing of the turmoil that was raging inside him. She'd heard his request, but must have not been able to make any sense out of it. After a moment she let her arms drop to her sides, but she did not step back from him. Once she had let go, Seth snagged his chance at an escape. He turned away from Rilly and swiftly walked passed her, and out the door, leaving her and Natalia standing silently in an empty room.

Tears streamed silently down Rilly's face. Natalia could not even raise a hand of comfort, but simply watched the other woman cry. Each tear was hot and painful. Natalia understood that. There was nothing she could say.