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[Ariana Lenoir]

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"You have nothing to keep you here. No guard. No station. No purpose."

"I am well aware t'at the arrangement has nay been confirmed, " she responded.

"Take the child and return to your family's estate at Winterspire."

She scowled at him, "He approached me. He contacted -me-."

"And your point, Duchess?"

"If we canna' secure an arrangement there will be nay reason t'move elsewhere, " she said, her tone rather abrupt.

"And how much longer would Your Grace give it? It has been well past a lunar cycle since the first contact, a formal request sent and it was forgotten to roll under the throne. It's quite impressive how important he deems you to be, Your Grace, " the voice mocked her coldly.

"Oh shut up. He contacted me. If he dinnae need something from me, why do it?" she countered.

"Maybe just to screw with that pretty little head of yours. Us folks are always doing that. Can be quite a past time, ya know?"

"Then he'd still be screwing with it if t'at was 'is amusement." she said matter-of-factly.

"Isn't he?"

"W'at?" she gaped.

"You are quite a mess currently. Seems fairly amusing."

"Ye're an idiot."

"I'm a lot of things. Perhaps the real reason you are unwilling to leave is you still love the child's father. What was his name... Cyrai... Cyrusissy?"

"Ye're insane," she said as she smirked.

"As I said I'm a lot of things. You need to return to Winterspire and raise the girl-child there."

"An' grow old? I will nay grow old. I will nay hide away. I will nay become a recluse. I was meant fer more than giving birth t'a bastard child an' growin' old. I am better than t'at." she retorted, the sound of anger thick on her tongue. "I am worth more than t'at!" she shouted.

"Sometimes we don't have the luxury of having what we want or having others recognize our value."

She remained silent.

"You need to make your decision. Your patience is making you weak. You never would have tolerated such disrespect before."

"I've ne'er been in this situation before, " she said distantly.

"You may not be in it for long. They will kill you and take her back. You are damaged goods. You are expendable. You always were to them. To him."

"I am nay expendable."

"I hope you're right, Your Grace. Mistakes now are lethal."

"Aye, I know."
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