The brute took Esti's words harshly. That was a fact. Esti's heart sped at his look of despair, his head drooping. There was an amount of pride in the ability to alter another's emotions, almost enough to erase all guilt from the princess's mind. Almost enough, until,
"I thought we were friends."
Esti felt herself move to scoff and deny their friendship, but something felt as if it had kicked her in the heart. Her ears went back in reflex, as if offended by him questioning their friendship after spending time together. No! This wasn't how she was supposed to feel about this. This brute should be only her servant! She should feel no remorse, but he really was her only friend. Even in the mix of all the lies she had told, he had willingly agreed, and even though Esti knew she was in the wrong, that she was leading the male on, she had grown affections for the male, not that she wanted to admit it. If she didn't, though, would she lose the male? Her only true follower and only true friend? The thought of being alone again in the willows seemed dreadful, even though she felt just fine when she did it initially. When did she become dependent on the other? When did she change?
The thoughts seemed to suffocate her and she realized, just like that, that the words she had used to build her empire could also destroy her. She had to fix this, but she wasn't ready to give up just yet, "Okay, yeah," she began with a loud sigh, her voice shaking slightly, "we're friends, okay? That's why you shouldn't be so responsible for watching me all the time. Otherwise we really are just Servant and Princess. It can be anyone, literally anyone, but if we-" she emphasized "we" to try to bring some form or togetherness into view, hopefully erasing any thoughts of leaving in the brute's mind, "- build our numbers, the strain won't be so heavy, and maybe we can be..." she hesitated, the word in her mind tasting bitter, "friends."
She hated it. She didn't want friends, yet somehow this brute had befriended her, and somehow, that made her more scared than not having any friends at all. "Speech"
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