Hope Falls

"I know, but that doesn't change a thing I just said to you, a thing I have said to you all week." Florence whispered, pushing the tray so it was between them. "Now, please eat, Emmett. You need it."

"I don't understand what this is. Why you are here and willing to break the rules when you have everything in your hands now to be able to go and help your Queen win the war, gain her favour and secure a better life for yourself. If she finds out you've had a vision and not told her, even if it was minor, she'll be furious."

"I don't believe in this war and I will not be a part of it. I have no loyalty to her, I have no loyalty to anyone in this other than myself... she's donecnothing to earn my loyalty, or respect."

"You've been assigned to her, it's how the whole thing works."

"Not in this situation, not here and not now. Stop arguing with me on this, it is exhausting."

"So is being someone's prisoner and not being sure if you're part of some sort of psychological experiment" Emmett murmured, though his shoulders relaxed a little.

"I know," Florence breathed, edging a little closer to him and reached her hand out. Hoovering just over his arm and asking gently, "Can I..?"

"So you can see something else?" Emmett asked quietly, not accusatory this time.

"No, so I can hug you because... you just look like you need it."

"You want to h-hug me?" Emmett asked in confusion, his brows furrowing. "This is the most unusual imprisonment I've ever had." he mused with a soft snort.

"Yes, or no?"

"Do as you wish..."

She cracked a smile then, resting her hand on his arm before slipping it around the back of his shoulders to pull him toward her. Meeting half way to lean her head against his and close her eyes, repeating softly; "I think you are very brave."

"It is the people I have left behind that are brave." Emmett murmured as he too closed his eyes.

Florence moved her other arm up so she could gently trail her fingers through her hair, fiddling with the ends. "People like you make my heart warm. Emotional intelligence is rare, people who stick to their morals are rare. Those who will be passive until they have to fight for others well being or something they feel is greater is hard to come back. I see you and sometimes I feel like I am looking at a reflection of myself."

“No offence but you’re kinda scrawny so I’m taking that as an insult.” Emmett snorted, teasing her.

Florence laughed, her hand dropping from his hair as she leant back though her fingers lingered on his arm. Looking him up and down before stating matter-of-factly; "It won't be long till you are my size if you don't start eating properly."

(( Night night ))

Florence laughed, her hand dropping from his hair as she leant back though her fingers lingered on his arm. Looking him up and down before stating matter-of-factly; "It won't be long till you are my size if you don't start eating properly."

(( Night night ))

“I don’t trust anything here… your Queen enjoys poison.” Emmett admitted. “We lost a lot of good men a few weeks ago because during the night her forces were upriver of our camp and dumped a load in. By the time the men got up in the morning and drank from the river the poison had trickled down and they were all dead in minutes. Dirty tactics…”

"I'm sorry, that must have been... that must have been really traumatic to witness." Florence whispered. "I knew the Fallen, when I was human. The uh, the old King used to send his kids out on these literal suicide missions with a small army to 'test them'. The Prince didn't come back, and the Princess, now Queen, wasn't allowed to for some stupid reason I'll never understand so I went. Every single one of those people he was with were slaughtered, blood everywhere... wings removed and just left face down. Him included, he was still alive though - I got him back in time for them to save him."

“I’d rather someone kill me than remove my wings… they can strip everything else from me, my abilities, my dignity if they must but not my wings… it must’ve been an awful sight.”

"It broke him, he kept saying he rather I let him die which pissed me off because it was my first time in a place that wasn't my home and the land of the Fallen is fucking scary when you're a human. Neither of us got over it, then Dagmar showed up to encourage me to pass and he just.. let me go, barely any fight so..." Florence shrugged, ripping a piece of the bread she had gotten him to go with the soup away so she could munch it herself. "Wings are beautiful, I don't know why... I love them though."

“They’re an extra limb… to take them is like taking an arm or a leg. And it takes away who you are. To lose them is… soul destroying.” Emmett nodded quietly, cringing at the thought.

"Well, you ever bump into the Fallen Queen just make sure you don't mention any of that, or me... at all, actually."

“I highly doubt I ever will but, I shall keep it to myself.” Emmett nodded.