Scolded for showing emotions. Even if it was brief, and typical, it unsettled her. Having to swallow all her emotions all the time... it was no wonder everyone in this godsforsaken fortress was so messed up. It was something she hadn't noticed until she'd started spending time in Kurai's bed, and the pieces slowly began falling into place. The princess could hardly control her scoff at the scolding.
Charlie rested her elbow on her knee, and her chin on her palm as she gazed past Riath, not wanting to look at the other woman. More talk of what should have been. More talk of the past...
She gave a sigh and spoke dismissively, "Nothing more than empty promises of what should have been. Happy words of a childhood I should have had. Of a happy family that's nothing more than an echo of a dream. Of Auntie being in love and happy." She scoffed again as her face twisted in bitter contempt. "It's all empty words," she spat, her eyes narrowed into slits. "Why bother telling me what could have been, as if it'll somehow bandage this facade we're all living in."
The demoness turned and swung her legs over the side of her bed, and rose to her feet with purpose. Drawing one of her dark blades and twirling it thoughtfully in her hand, Charlie's expression became one of contemplation, though her eyes were hard and steely as they focused on the polished edge of the blade. With a trained flick of the wrist she hurled the dagger into an ornamental tapestry that hung by the window, one depicting some great long ago battle. She stalked over silently and curled her fingers around the blood red hilt of the dagger. Her face scrunched up into a snarl, her brows knitting together as she roared in fury and drove the dagger through the tapestry until it had been cut clean in half. And then she did it again and again until the tapestry was nothing more than ribbons.
"This place is a prison, and when I rule it's going to change," she hissed bitterly.
--
"I see," Aolani replied sagely as she gathered a cup for herself and Vioroll. Leaving the tea to steep for a moment, the woman allowed herself to ponder his words, the look of thought etched into her pale features. She poured him a cup and presented it to him, "It's very hot, My Lord," was all she said in cursory warning, before she prepared her own cup of tea.
Taking a seat across from the demon lord and folding her legs as though she were a delicate court lady, Aolani sipped at her tea until she felt she had had enough time to digest his problems and deliver a suitable answer.
"Parenting is never easy, My Lord," she began. Another sip of her tea. "You hold your daughter to high standards, as is to be expected from royalty. You hold her to what you were held to; a long family tradition to be part of." She leaned forward in her seat and held out the cup of tea in her delicate hand, her fingers squeezing the porcelain tightly.
"But the thing is... the harder you hold onto something, the more you try and restrain it..." The cup began to crack under her freakish grip, and yet Aolani continued to crush it beneath her grip. Finally it shattered, sending beady drops of hot tea and shards of white porcelain spraying down to the floor. "...the more likely it is to break." She shook her hand, which showed no sign of injury.
"What your daughter needs from you is you, My Lord," she said plainly. "Perhaps you may not have been the best parent, but it is never to late to change. It's not my place to act as though I know what your relationship with your daughter is, My Lord, but from what it sounds like you're pushing her to be something she's not. Maybe what she needs from you is acceptance and a guiding hand, and not a harsh teacher. But I am not a parent, I'm a priestess." Aolani stood up and waved a hand to sweep away the mess she had created. "And my advice to you is to give both of you time to breathe and think. A little introspection goes a long way..."
Charlie rested her elbow on her knee, and her chin on her palm as she gazed past Riath, not wanting to look at the other woman. More talk of what should have been. More talk of the past...
She gave a sigh and spoke dismissively, "Nothing more than empty promises of what should have been. Happy words of a childhood I should have had. Of a happy family that's nothing more than an echo of a dream. Of Auntie being in love and happy." She scoffed again as her face twisted in bitter contempt. "It's all empty words," she spat, her eyes narrowed into slits. "Why bother telling me what could have been, as if it'll somehow bandage this facade we're all living in."
The demoness turned and swung her legs over the side of her bed, and rose to her feet with purpose. Drawing one of her dark blades and twirling it thoughtfully in her hand, Charlie's expression became one of contemplation, though her eyes were hard and steely as they focused on the polished edge of the blade. With a trained flick of the wrist she hurled the dagger into an ornamental tapestry that hung by the window, one depicting some great long ago battle. She stalked over silently and curled her fingers around the blood red hilt of the dagger. Her face scrunched up into a snarl, her brows knitting together as she roared in fury and drove the dagger through the tapestry until it had been cut clean in half. And then she did it again and again until the tapestry was nothing more than ribbons.
"This place is a prison, and when I rule it's going to change," she hissed bitterly.
--
"I see," Aolani replied sagely as she gathered a cup for herself and Vioroll. Leaving the tea to steep for a moment, the woman allowed herself to ponder his words, the look of thought etched into her pale features. She poured him a cup and presented it to him, "It's very hot, My Lord," was all she said in cursory warning, before she prepared her own cup of tea.
Taking a seat across from the demon lord and folding her legs as though she were a delicate court lady, Aolani sipped at her tea until she felt she had had enough time to digest his problems and deliver a suitable answer.
"Parenting is never easy, My Lord," she began. Another sip of her tea. "You hold your daughter to high standards, as is to be expected from royalty. You hold her to what you were held to; a long family tradition to be part of." She leaned forward in her seat and held out the cup of tea in her delicate hand, her fingers squeezing the porcelain tightly.
"But the thing is... the harder you hold onto something, the more you try and restrain it..." The cup began to crack under her freakish grip, and yet Aolani continued to crush it beneath her grip. Finally it shattered, sending beady drops of hot tea and shards of white porcelain spraying down to the floor. "...the more likely it is to break." She shook her hand, which showed no sign of injury.
"What your daughter needs from you is you, My Lord," she said plainly. "Perhaps you may not have been the best parent, but it is never to late to change. It's not my place to act as though I know what your relationship with your daughter is, My Lord, but from what it sounds like you're pushing her to be something she's not. Maybe what she needs from you is acceptance and a guiding hand, and not a harsh teacher. But I am not a parent, I'm a priestess." Aolani stood up and waved a hand to sweep away the mess she had created. "And my advice to you is to give both of you time to breathe and think. A little introspection goes a long way..."
