âAfter everything I did for you, you turned it all aside and gave up.â
Hildaâs voice cut through the air as she cornered her daughter, Ishtarâs back pressed against the cold stone wall as her eyes stayed fixed to the ground. This bugged Hilda more than anything else, the idea that the girl just seemed to be riding through the lesson and waiting to sneak away - how dare she? Scowling a hand moved to her chin, nails digging into her cheek even as she lifted her daughterâs head almost gently.
âLook at me when Iâm talking to you.â She growled. A harsh glare met a pair of dead, hopeless eyes as Hilda sighed in disgust and shook her head. She must have pushed Ishtar too hard in that previous life â- a broken tool wasnât of any use to her. She pulled her hand away and noted with some satisfaction that at least the silver-haired girl didnât look away. âGood. Now, it isnât a complete waste. His Highness is wandering around this world as well, so we can still complete the marriage-â
Ishtarâs firm refusal caught Hilda off guard, and the dark-haired woman stared at her incredulously for a moment. Ishtar avoided her gaze, two hands fiddling with each other - not the scratching at her forearms the girl so foolishly normally did. Eyes narrowed a little and focused, and she let out a small bark of unbelieving laughter at the sight she found.
âYou married another, then?â She shook her head in disgust. âSuch a damned waste. Going from an emperor and heir of not one but two mighty bloodlines to who, then?â
âSomeone better-â Ishtar seemed like she was mustering up the courage to snarl a retort, but her attention snapped away to something else even as Hilda snorted in disgust at what she assumed the words meant. âS-seliph!â
âSeliphâŠ? Ah, you clever girl.â Something almost like pride filled Hildaâs heart and she chuckled, arms crossed under her chest. âYou saw Julius losing the war and decided it would be best to start over, latching onto the new emperor instead. Iâm impre-â
Ishtar shoved herself past her mother, clearly not listening to her words anymore. Hildaâs face contorted with rage at this and she reached out, grabbing a wrist as she tried to leave. âWe are not finished here you silly-â
She froze, finding herself staring not just at her restrained daughter, but the man with an arm around her shoulders and glaring at her. As if she was doing something wrong. This must be Seliph, thenâŠsheâd never gotten to meet him in person before that damned reject son of Tailtiuâs had killed her.
âUnhand her.â She said, coldly. âIâm having words with my daughter.â
   He knew he should not have left her alone.
   From the moment that word reached their ears about that womanâs arrival, Seliph should have known that not accompanying Ishtar would leave her open to being confronted like thisâ by Hilda; her mother; a vile, uncaring and dangerous person. She is no mother, but instead a persistent leech, and while the boy had not been confident in his abilities to spot her initially, there is no mistaking that the older woman clutching onto his partnerâs wrist and addressing him so distantly must be Hilda. An uncharacteristically dull stare maintains eye contact with the other, summoning what courage he can gather to stay utterly stillâ to keep his arm around Ishtarâs shoulders if not to comfort the girl, then in case if she dares to try and pull her back. The young king has half a mind to move his free hand to Tyrfingâs hilt, however, as tempting as the idea happens to be, Seliph knows that it would only further upset and anger the woman keeping his lover in a situation she so clearly did not want to have been dragged into in the first place.
      âIâm sorry, but I cannot do that,â
   His voice is low, but still ever as gentle as it normally is, not wishing to worsen the situation or call for attention of those nearby. It is his fault that she found herself face-to-face with someone so wretched, after allâ it is he who broke his promise to keep the girl away from her mother at all costs. The very least Seliph can do now is ensure that she escapes from this unscathed, both physically and emotionally. Pale features contort, a light frown tainting replacing the calm expression that had been there moments prior, wishing he could guide his partner awayâ resisting the urge to pry each and every one of those talon-like fingers off of her wrist so they could leave.
      âIf Iâm not mistaken, Ishtar was trying to leave, was she notâŠ? She clearly does not want to speak with you any longer⊠It would be best for you to respect her wishes.â
   He doubts Hilda will listen to himâ if what his lover has said about her is true, then it will not be that simpleâ, however there is no harm in at least trying to be reasonable, and seeing if acting that way would offer them an opportunity to slip away without the situation escalating.Â
      âLet go of her.â