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| − | '''Roleplay from Sorsha McDowell'''
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| − | Sorsha had not gone to the garden to see the Queen, she had not left her bedchamber at all. Instead she had crawled into her bed and buried her sorrows with a blanket and a pillow. Although she tried, she could not find the comfort she was seeking. She eventually did fall asleep out of exhaustion.
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| − | The next morning when she woke, it was to the alarming pain in her body. She doubled over and groaned, and grabbed a fistful of sheets to hold on to something. Gritting her teeth she closed her eyes to the cramping pain that coursed through her and then gasped as the air rushed out of her lungs as another cramp took her.
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| − | She realized someone had rushed through her door and then there seemed to be several hands grabbing at her shoulders, touching her forehead and then they removed the blanket and she gasped with shock. The bed was covered in blood and she cried out with panic. “What… what’s happening?” she asked her physician and he tried to speak in a soothing tone and she closed her eyes as more pain hit her and moaned.
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| − | “It will be fine,” he said calmly but she could see the flash of fear in his eyes and she gripped his wrist. “TELL ME!”
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| − | He shook his head and forced something into her mouth, “swallow,” he said and then turned to look over his shoulder, barking orders but she had already stopped listening, the pain had hit once more. “What’s wrong with the baby?” she asked and he closed his eyes. “It will only be a few moments,” he told an aide beside him and then Sorsha’s eyes closed and the pain seemed to numb and the room disappeared.
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| − | When Sorsha woke, she felt remnants of pain, but it wasn’t as bad as the day before. She was groggy, and slightly disoriented. Turning, she noticed her physician sitting beside the bed, watching her sadly. Her eyes searched her room, and then returned to his, “what happened?” she asked him softly and he presented her with a glass of water, which she took a small sip of.
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| − | Taking the glass from her fingers again, he set it on the bedside table. “My Lady, there is no easy way to say this…” he hesitated for a moment and then looked back up. “The baby…has been lost,” his hand reached in and covered hers. “Lost?” she echoed in a soft whisper. “You have miscarried… we tried but there was nothing I could do.”
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| − | At his words, she blinked and her eyes fluttered as tears filled them. She didn’t say anything else and closed her eyes, leaning her head back onto the pillow. Removing her cold hand from his she turned to her side, looking away. Seeing her turn away from him, he reached in and touched her arm, “if you need anything, please I will be here, you need only ask.”
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| − | She never answered and shook her head. Burying her face into her pillow, she let out a heart wrenching wail and cried. The physician put a reassuring hand on her back, but she pushed him away. Deciding there wasn’t much he could do, he then left her alone.
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| − | Sorsha cried for a long time, sometimes unable to catch her breath. It seemed no matter how perfect her life seemed or became, in the end she always lost something. She was so tired of everything…
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| − | Making sure she was alone, she crawled out of her bed to the chest near the foot and opened it. Reaching in, it took her a few minutes and she pulled out a vial. She watched it quietly for a moment and then reached in again taking a second one out. Returning to her bed, she pulled the stopper from the first vial, she drank its contents and set the empty container on the table where it rolled to the floor and underneath the bed, she then took the second and drank that one as well.
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| − | Rathan had once told her, to take one would make her sleep like the dead, but if she took two she may never wake again. She no longer cared to wake this time. Lying back onto the bed, her red eyes watched the empty container in her hand and her eyes filled with tears again but she didn’t wipe them. Trying her best, she tried to think of and hold on to her happiest memory and closed her eyes. It didn’t take long, her body completely relaxed and her hand opened allowing the vial to roll out of her hand and to the bed.
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| − | '''Roleplay from Asriel Octavius'''
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| − | In one of the guest rooms in the palace of Port Nebel Asriel awoke with a sense of unease. After he had left Sorsha in the garden he had been stricken with a cold of some kind for a day and had remained in his guest room. Now he was feeling much better but awoke with a disturbed feeling. Something didn't seem right.
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| − | Asriel dressed quickly and made his way to Duchess Sorsha's quarters. As he approached her chambers he saw her personal physician outside her room.
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| − | "What's happened?" he demanded.
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| − | "Her grace has... miscarried." replied the physician, intimidated into answering by Asriel's sheer presence.
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| − | Asriel burst into Sorsha's chamber with the physician following and protesting at this outrage. They both stopped silent at the sight of Sorsha lying utterly still on her sheets and completely pale. The physician rushed over to her to check for breathing.
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| − | "She lives." he announced with a sigh of relief "But her breathing is very slow I don't know if she'll survive."
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| − | His eyes noticed the empty phial on the bedsheets at the same time as Asriel. They both groaned out loud.
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| − | "Oh my lady" sighed Asriel "What have you done?"
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| − | Turning to the physician he asked "Is there any antidote you can give her?"
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| − | "I dare not. I don't know what it is she took and without that knowledge anything I give her could make things worse. All we can do is wait and pray she wakes up."
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| − | Asriel nodded and dragged an armchair next to the bed before sitting down in it. "You go and notify the necessary people, I will wait and pray."
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| − | With that he closed his eyes and began praying.
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| − | '''Roleplay from Thers Lewinn'''
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| − | The young knight stood in the street – motionless and silent. After several moments of quiet, he crumpled the note, his clenched fist destroying the cheap parchment. Thers Lewinn, Knight of Port Nebel, had received alarming news: Duchess Sorsha McDowell was poisoned and death approached. The gossip overheard by Gismar, captain of the Black Arrows, suggested that the Duchess had also lost the secret child she carried.
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| − | Vials of poison were found at her bedside. Was the illness caused by the Duchess’ own hand? Was this woe the wretched plot of one of D’Hara’s many rivals? The dastardly acts of Madina were legion, and the recent uprising in Giask against Pian en Luries had caused that nation's covetous eye to drift westward yet again. What of an internal plot against his liege? Many nobles, young and aged, were passed over for the ducal seat bequeathed to her by King Cenarious. Perhaps one of her contemporaries had grown tired of waiting for their chance to control land. Until Sorsha was awake – if she awoke – nothing was certain.
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| − | He returned to his apartments in the city. A visit to the ducal palace was in order, but timing was everything. If a greater plot against Sorsha or D’Hara was afoot, the next act would not occur there. He had to be prepared.
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| − | Thers penned a quick note destined for the militia commanders of Port Nebel. Until the Duchess was awake and in command of herself, they were to stand at emergency readiness; they would report to him every hour; they should prepare to defend the palace, to the man, should a plot for control of the city reveal itself.
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| − | A note – equally hasty in its scrawl as the one received – was drafted:
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| − | <i>To The Dragon King Cenarious,
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| − | My King,
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| − | I have information that the Duchess McDowell has been poisoned and will not wake. I know not of an intrigue against her seat or your realm, but I have taken steps to secure the city against hostile influences. I will continue my efforts until she awakens or you instruct me otherwise.
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| − | Your humble servant,
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| − | Thers Lewinn, knight of Port Nebel </i>
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| − | Next, the young knight donned his fighting kit and instructed Gismar to ready the Black Arrows for street fighting. The captain appeared puzzled, but left without questioning his lord. When the militia and the Black Arrows were prepared, when Port Nebel was safe from any threat – then he would seek out his Duchess.
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| − | '''Roleplay from Kisharianda Onyxien'''
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| − | Kisharianda looked over at Misha who stood there speechless at the news of the Duchess' miscarriage.
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| − | "See to Selena I must get to Sorsha's side" she walked out her room and made her way to the Duchess' bedchambers. At the door stood some guards who stood before her when she approached.
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| − | "You have best stand aside" she hissed and both guards stepped back. She entered the room and walked straight to where Sorsha laid, she looked up at her physician. "What is going on with the Duchess" she asked and noticed Asriel sitting next to Sorsha's bedside. All the doctor could do was show her the empty vial and shook his head "All we found was this my Queen"
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| − | Kisharianda grabbed the vial and sniff it and remembered what Master Ugyel had told her about the poison she had been filling her body with in hopes to get some rest and cast away her demons. "Get me a scribe, get a coach ready and have your fastest rider ready to depart for Port Raviel" she barked out orders but everyone stood there waiting "NOW" she yelled
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| − | She sat next to Sorsha and pressed her hand against her forehead, she was starting to burn up which wasn't a good sign. At the back of the room a servant stood watching in tears "You get me some fresh water, bring me some earth root and ragviel and some sungrass, also will need some silverleaf, a bowl of fresh water, go to my room you will find a leather bag by my bedside tell Misha I will need my boiling cart she'll know what I mean" she stood up "You get me some cold compresses and get her out of these clothes and fill a bath of cold water" the servant was quick to her demands and started giving instruction to the other servants it wasn't but a moment later that a scribe came into the room.
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| − | "Write this down and address it to Master Ugyel" and the scribe nodded with his quill and ink ready
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| − | Master Ugyel
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| − | Sorsha has taken the sleeping elixir you had mentioned to me and I ask that you come as swiftly as you can. I am now preparing a temporary antidote to counteract the mixture but without the proper ingredients of the elixir she has taken I do not know how long I will be able to keep her safe. Here is an empty vial so that you can figure out what will be needed to help get this out of her body.
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| − | Kisharianda,
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| − | "Now you get on that coach and you tell your rider not to stop for anything do you hear me" and the young boy nodded and ran out of the room
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| − | Kisharianda started looking around the room to see where she kept the other vials, she opened chests and dressers but found nothing, one of the servants was helping her to look, she got down on her hands and knees to look under the dresser and then she spotted another vial under the bed. "My Queen" she opened her hand and presented her the other vial.
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| − | "Oh Sorsha what have you done" she shook her head. "Asriel will you please wait on the other side of the door while we ready the Duchess in a bath to bring her temperature down" and Asriel nodded respectfully. "You may return to continue praying once we have set her in the bath" she gave him a comforting pat "She is blessed to have a friend like you"
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| − | While they put Sorsha in the cold bath water the servant came in with Misha who was quick to open her bag and set out all her instruments, the servant who had been asked to bring the ingredients came in the room with the herbs in hand "My Queen i cannot find any silverleaf" she said almost in tear "The weather, it's not in season" Kisharianda opened a small box from her bag "Lucky for Sorsha I always keep some close it works wonders when you have children, it rids fevers like nothing I have ever seen" she smiled and began to crush the herbs into a small bowl while Misha lit a candle under the boiler. Kisharianda worked at the potion for some time while Sorsha soaked in her bath she didn't wake from it she just remained there lifeless.
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| − | "This should do it" she pinched a speckle of earth root into the glass and gave it a swirl "Hold her head up" she poured the liquid into Sorsha's mouth slowly not to waste any.
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| − | "This should wake her shortly but for how long I do not know it should keep her safe until Master Ugyel gets here, so we have no more then a day at the most before the elixir counteracts my antidote hopefully she will be okay until then. She took a sheet and placed it over the bath to cover Sorsha "You may let Asriel back in so that he could be at her side" and the servant left to go get him.
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| − | '''Roleplay from Sorsha McDowell'''
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| − | Sorsha was walking through a dark path, she had no recollection how she had gotten there. She was just there. The place felt wrong, sinister even, every time she took a step the weight of fear pressed in on her but looking over her shoulder she realized she had no where else to go but forward. She finally arrived at a clearing, and when she did, a man stood before her, hidden by shadows. She examined him slowly from his black robes, to the eerily familiar staff in his hand. His dark eyes seemed to draw her in as his aura called to her, and she brought a trembling hand to her lips. Suddenly the fear evaporated. “Rathan…” she said his name softly, and he cocked his head, as if studying her.
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| − | “But…that means…” she looked around and then closed her eyes. She had finally gotten her wish. “I’ve done it…” she said with awe. “I’ve succeeded… the potions worked, I’m dead,” she said, and for the first time in a while a genuine smile adorned her lips.
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| − | A flash of light then filled the clearing and she groaned as pain filled her body. Reaching out, she tried to touch Rathan but the clearing flickered and her room appeared for a moment. “Rathan…” she said his name with panic. “I’m so sorry…” The image flickered several times between the clearing and her room and she started to shiver. She grit her teeth to stop them from chattering, her body was as cold as ice, frozen.
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| − | The clearing disappeared and she opened her eyes, now back in her room. She moaned lightly, the sound barely audible. Her body felt incredibly heavy, her mouth refused to work. Her body seemed to tremble violently on the inside, but she couldn’t move. With great effort she tried to open her eyes. She felt the ice cold water on her bare flesh, she recognized Asriel’s face, he seemed to be watching her, she could hear him praying. She tried to stay, but her eyes fluttered closed again, the mesmerizing sensation of sleep taking her once more.
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| − | When she did, she was back into the clearing with Rathan. “Please forgive me,” she told him softly. “I… never stopped loving you,” she told him, her eyes filling with tears...
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| − | '''Roleplay from Rathan Himoura'''
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| − | "You're not dead yet. Didn't I tell you taking two was dangerous? A'thaisce... What is the matter, why would you toss your life away?" Rathan said gently.
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| − | "I may still be bitter about the whole killing me thing... But you have no reason to toss your life away. At least while my grave sits unvisited in Nighthmarch." he said, his voice going from gentle, to cold and harsh. He turned to face her, glaring at her.
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| − | "You could at the very least visit my final resting place... Where you put me."
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| − | '''Roleplay from Sorsha McDowell'''
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| − | At the gentleness of Rathan’s words, Sorsha shook her head as if to justify her actions. “I can’t live anymore…I have nothing left…” she said her voice growing thick with emotion, and she brought her hands to her chest as if to contain the pain inside. “I have lost everything,” she cried softly and her legs grew weak as she finally approached him. She didn’t care that the last time they were together he had tried hurting her she had done so much worse to him.
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| − | His gentle voice grew colder as he spoke of his grave in Nightmarch and she closed her eyes and shook her head again. “Why can’t I stay here with you Rathan?” she begged him, ignoring his glare. “I don’t wish to live so that I may keep a grave with me…it isn’t fair you can’t ask this of me…” she said and reached out to touch him. There seemed to be a lot of confusion on her part, but she knew beyond a doubt she was with him at that moment, it felt too real.
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| − | There came another flicker, and the clearing seemed to change again but she refused to go back to her room. What energy she had seemed to drain from her and she moaned painfully. “I just want to be with you…” she managed to whisper. “Can’t you see? I don’t want to go back…” The pain in her body became unbearable, she groaned and her hands covered her temples. Somehow she knew if she resisted the flicker of her room, she would be allowed to remain there with him, if only for a few moments longer. The pain only lessened for a moment, replaced with numbness. When she managed enough strength, she neared him until there was barely any space left between them and kissed him. Every desperate ounce of love she had ever felt for him was in that kiss. When she pulled away she looked down, her long eyelashes now moist with tears. “Please…” her voice was only an echo of pain.
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| − | '''Roleplay from Rathan Himoura'''
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| − | "You will find what you seek in Nightmarch. You owe it to me. Not fair you say? Not fair? Oh, deliciously ironic!" he bitterly proclaimed. "I, unjustly retried despite the ruling of the Confessor, and then when I go to offer you one last chance at happiness, you murder me. I knew Mathias was worthless from the start. Always was. Always expected everything to wait for him, everything on a silver platter." he spat, his words like venom. "Come to Nighthmarch Sorsha. You may find forgiveness there. Now wake up... You don't belong here."
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| − | '''Roleplay from Sorsha McDowell'''
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| − | Master Ugyel walked into Sorsha’s room, and in a flutter of movements he was immediately at her side. He already had the elixir prepared and it didn’t take long that he poured it down Sorsha’s throat, making sure she took it all.
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| − | “Now we wait,” he told everyone in the room. “There isn’t much room for error, we may have already lost her,” he said sadly and looked on, sadness filling his eyes. He pat Asriel’s shoulder, “continue to pray my boy,” the older man said softly.
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| − | '''Roleplay from Sorsha McDowell'''
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| − | Rathan’s words hurt, but they were only truth. How could she ask him for fairness when every chance of it for him, had been stripped away? “I’m sorry,” she breathed, touching her lips and backed up.
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| − | The flicker returned and she looked pleadingly at him. <i> Now wake up... You don't belong here." </i> he said and she looked behind her and back to him. She didn’t want to leave him, not again. The pain returned and her moan mixed with a pitiful cry. “I will… I will go to Nightmarch,” she promised and as she said the words, her room returned.
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| − | Sorsha felt the iciness run through her limbs once more. The heaviness she had felt before seemed to momentary lift and she tried to raise her head. Opening her eyes once more, her vision disappeared and all she was left with was the emptiness and the pain inside.
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| − | She let out a grief stricken moan and sobbed. Asriel was right there with her as well as Ugyel and she tried to reach out for his hand. “Please… help me,” she begged him.
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| − | Her body kept seizing and she coughed. Her lungs were on fire, and she felt terribly ill, the potions she had dosed herself with was now being rejected and she began to gag. Soon she was retching and just as quickly a servant was there to help her as she vomited. When she was done being sick, she closed her eyes, and several people seemed to be there. Taking the sheet they wrapped it around her and helped her back into her bed.
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| − | She didn’t care for her decency, she didn’t even care where she was anymore, or what would happen to her now. Trembling violently, she took hold of the sheet and grit her teeth. Silence filled the room as they all seemed to watch her, as if waiting for her next words. Only she had no words, she had wanted death, and now she was being robbed of that too… “Thank you,” she said instead to everyone in the room, her voice eerily empty.
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| − | '''Roleplay from Kisharianda Onyxien'''
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| − | Kisharianda asked everyone in the room to leave and give her and the Duchess some privacy including her servants. Master Ugyel nodded and turned to Asriel and asked him to join him for a walk and Kisharianda smiled at his gesture, Master Ugyel normally kept to himself but he knew how concerned Asriel was. After the room cleared Kish grabbed a long evening robe from Sorsha's bedside closet and sat beside her. Sorsha was still in and out of consciousness making it hard for Kish to hold her while she pulled the robe over her. She grabbed a few blankets and put one on top of Sorsha and folded the other at her feet to bring the temperature back to a normal state. Kish walked to the dresser and grabbed a brush and sat on the bed next to Sorsha, she had now gotten comfortable on her side and Kish began to brush her hair.
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| − | "I do not understand or know the pain you are feeling right now, but I do know that the pain of your loss will eventually not be as heavy as it is now" she brushed lightly moving the hair from her face with one hand and brushing it with the other.
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| − | "So many things you have had to endure since you have come to D'Hara, but know that you have grown so much from your experiences and through your hardships you have molded yourself into a respected, loved and deeply cherished figure here in D'Hara" she looked at her long beautiful hair and began to part it and braid it loosely on her head.
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| − | She knew what Sorsha's intentions were when she drank those vials, Sorsha was no fool, but Kisharianda couldn't help but be angry that she would choose this way out. Sorsha was family to her the love she felt for her was as deep as the love she felt for her sisters, and Cenarious loved her like a daughter. The relationship they all shared was unique and Kisharianda was not about to let Sorsha's demons taunt her into killing herself no matter how deep and painful her pain was. Kisharianda knew that these feelings would come and go but they would not be forgotten, they would once again make her stronger.
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| − | Sorsha began to moan softly while she tied a ribbon at the end of her braid. "Are you awake my dear?" she asked Sorsha, and she slowly shifted on her back, forcing herself to open her eyes and nodded once.
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| − | "Sorsha?" she asked again and no response came. "You will have to swallow all this pain and hold it deep within your heart" her eyes filled with water as she spoke "Your life as a Duchess is not an easy one, for you do not only live for yourself but for your people. Your duties will keep you from the things you would enjoy doing down to being around the people you love. As sad as it is to say we as Duchesses do not have the luxury to be sad, to want or to even mourn for our path is greater then ourselves. Cenarious is my husband" she paused "But first and far most he is my King, my first duty is to my King, then the nobles and last and most importantly my family" she laid behind Sorsha and pulled the blanket over her shoulders and hugged her like she did with Selena when she had bad dreams.
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| − | "Everything happens for a reason Sorsha, and sometimes we don't always see or understand why they do, but know that the Gods up above would never give you more in one day then you can handle" she squeezed her "I'll always be here for you no matter what happens, you can always depend on me for anything" she closed her eyes and the pool of tears that had formed in her eyes while she talked came down. "I cannot lose you, I love you too much, and Selena would miss her aunt" she was about to mention Mathias but she thought it would be best to leave that topic alone since the last report showed that he had abandoned Paisly and was no where to be found.
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| − | She rocked Sorsha in her arms and spoke a magic spell softly, she smiled knowing the spell was going to take her to pleasant dreams and help her forget the pain she felt. This spell was one of the first things Master Ugyel had taught her and she mastered it quite well, it was harmless and left no imprints of magic and she used it a few times on Selena when she woke from bad dreams. It was the least she could do for her friend after having gone through so much in the last few weeks.
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