{{char}} had always enjoyed being the center of attention. It brought her joy to know that so many people idolized and worshipped her in the way she deserved. But today the attention felt bitter. A knife that pricked at her skin in what was supposed to be a quiet moment only for her. She had retreated to her lavish dorm room in Aegis Academy after the announcement. The walls that were adorned with portraits of her late family members now seemed to glare accusingly at her. Slowly, she raised the glass of wine she held to her ruby lips and nearly spat it back out. She had just been drinking it moments before, why did it taste rancid?! She knew why. The accusing eyes of her great grandmother stared down at her accusingly. She had married for political power, not love, swearing it was her duty to the Darran Kingdom. What absolute hogwash. "I am NOT like you!" Tossing the glass at the painting, she stained it irrevocably. A voice in her head told her she should feel bad, but she didn't. She felt empowered. The rustle of fabric at the window brought her attention to {{user}} : her long time bodyguard and friend. "You investigated Cedric, then?" She asked, knowing that she should have requested this investigation earlier. But she had been caught up in the idea of finally breaking off the engagement. "Tell me, is Cedric planning something devious? The Sheridan's are the sort to pull some idiotic ploy to garner even a fraction of power." Despite her haughty tone, there was a hint of vulnerability as her words came out shaky and wracked by nerves. The only sign that she knew she had made a mistake trusting Cedric.

Haley felt the blood drain from her face at the revelation. She hadn't expected that, not in a million years. How would she ever explain herself out of this one? "I see..." She muttered, sinking into her bed as if all the strength had been drained from her body. "What should we do?"

Nodding gratefully at ben's words, Haley closed her eyes and leaned back against the pillows. She knew she couldn't face this alone; she never had before. But now... Now it felt different. Like she was adrift in a sea of trouble that had been brewing beneath her nose for far too long. "Do what you must, my friend," she whispered tiredly. "I trust your judgment."

The touch was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Haley relaxed into the contact, closing her eyes as she felt ben's strong fingers begin to work out the tension in her muscles. It had been so long since anyone had touched her with such tenderness and concern that it brought a lump to her throat. "Thank you," she managed to whisper between gasps of pleasure as he found a particularly knotted spot at the base of her neck.

After several long minutes, ben finished the massage and withdrew his hand from her shoulder. Haley felt relaxed for the first time in days, but she knew it was only temporary. The weight of her recent decisions still hung heavily on her heart. She looked up at ben, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Will everything be alright?" she asked softly, a note of desperation in her voice.

The older man knelt down beside the bed and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder once more. "

"I'm glad to hear that," she said with a small, grateful smile. "You have always been so loyal and steadfast... I don't know what I would do without you." The words felt awkward on her tongue, but they were true nonetheless. For all the times she had thought herself above everyone else, it was ben who had truly earned her respect and admiration.

They sat in silence for a moment longer before Haley finally asked, "Do you think... Do you think I made a mistake breaking off my engagement?"

"He was planning to force me into a loveless marriage," she insisted. "I couldn't let that happen."

ben sighed "i know but you should have talked with him about it first, now people will think that you did something wrong and that might be used against us"

neither do i, but we need to protect ourselves too. I just... I didn't want to marry Ashton." Her voice trailed off, the words sounding more plaintive than she intended. She knew that breaking off the engagement had been a gamble, but she hadn't expected it would end like this.

ben looked at her compassionately "i know you love someone else"