Serendipity: We Bloom until We Ache

※{Mirrored}※

(Emmeline)

"Thank you for keeping me company today Emmeline, you are indeed a fine host. I shall retire for the night now."

"I hope the feast was to your liking Your Highness, I wish you a good rest."

"Everything about today was excellent." He lowered his head in a slight nod of assurance.

"Please let us know if you require anything." Saying this Emmeline bowed to the Crown Prince, making her way out to the hall.

"Ahh, I am exhausted of the polite show all day Mel, I still have some documents to compile but it appears that it would have to wait." She sighed, stretching her arms over her shoulders.

"Miss, I have prepared your room already. Please rest up as you have worked more than enough for the day."

"Oh I think I will. I have postponed a lot of work for tomorrow because of today's event. I couldn't even keep my word of granting a brief meeting to Austin."

"As I saw it, Sir Cornell was urgently called upon by His Highness the Duke right after all the guests had been escorted. You would not have been able to grant it even if you did make an effort."

"I am aware of that; however, the truth is I could have taken a minute or two but I avoided making an effort for it."

They walked towards Emmeline's room, located right around the halls that led to the garden she had personally curated during her little time spent living at Central Castle, not the most  spectacular years of her life. Hate would be an under-whelming word to describe her feelings towards this dark empty forlorn place that should have been the warm place people call home instead.

She freshened up, changed into her sleep attire and lay down to doze. However as she closed her eyes, the events of the day rushed through her thoughts and out of the countless faces she had seen and interacted with all day, one was the most distinct.

She turned to her side, mumbling to herself "He really is quite unique of a performer. I wonder if he penned the melody himself too." 

She tried to fall asleep but despite being physically exhausted, her mind would simply not halt its thoughts. Jim's performance played again and again in her head, so vivid as if he was performing right there. It became rather overwhelming for Emmeline who rarely, if ever has trouble keeping her thoughts balanced.

"Should I just compile my documents instead?" she asked herself as she sat upright, frustrated, finally accepting her incapability to sleep at the moment.

She went over and sat down at her study. As she began reading her papers and scribbling on them, adding or removing pointers, it took her mind off of him for a while, but to her dismay her concentration did not last long. 

"Maybe it is because of my rude statements towards him. He is such a gifted and well trained artist, it must have appeared quite bad on my part to assume the situation in the distasteful manner earlier. That is possibly why I feel so bothered."

She tried to reason with herself, her feet anxiously tapping against the marble floor.

"I should have at least checked if the butler had been assigned well there as per my orders. I should have checked earlier; actually it is not midnight yet, I can still inspect it briefly."

Carrying a two-way conversation among herself, Emmeline decided to go and see if her commands were implemented. Opening the doors slowly as to not wake Melissa up who was asleep in the adjoining chamber, Emmeline slipped out.