"Ariel…"

A name spoken with such a cruel, hateful undertone. Coming from her lips, it was a word that terrified the young girl into stepping back and lowering her head even further.

At this point, Guila held no more questions about her power over the thing. She understood that it would never turn against her. Even when it had the chance to, dangled right in front of its eyes. That it would forever be obedient - subservient.

The thought of which was almost enough to make her smile through the blistering rage.

"It's fine, dear. I'm not angry, anymore.." A lie. An obvious lie betrayed by her eyes, despite trying to hide it behind her kind smile. However, it needed to be said.

"Could you be a dear, and unstrap me? Just my right wrist will be enough, then you can return to your bed and keep resting."

Such sweet words, Guila thought. Do one thing, and she'd be left well enough alone. Of course, the doll would accept, right?

But no.

The child just stood there, her gaze shifting between the shadow underneath Guila's bed, her strapped wrist, and then the door. Over and over, the ears on her head quivered and her tail shook.

"Is there something you can't tell me?" Her words were sweet with worry and empathy. Her tone loving and inviting. This expression of a gentle yet helpless woman was nothing like what she'd shown the toy before.

If it wasn't for the cold hatred in her eyes.

But no matter how many hateful, abusive words she wished to hurl at this moment, Guila didn't let a single one escape her lips. For this thing was essentially a frightened child.

'I just have to keep it up for a little while longer.'

"Ariel, dont be scared of the people outside the door." Her tone was now harsher, closer to before, but more like a teacher. "There is nothing to fear."

"Mistress…" Finally, the girl raised her head and met Guila's gaze. Her trembling quickly stopped as joy and relief from being smiled upon was shown by her perked up ears and tail.

Such a simple creature, this thing.

To the point that Guila almost felt stupid to hate her so much. But almost was the extent of it. No matter how innocent it was, it would be the source of all misery for her from now on.

She was quickly released and helped up. It was know when she could sit up by herself, with her toes almost touching the floor, that the doll took a few steps back and hung its head once again.

And yet, it wasn't staring at the floor. Instead, its gaze was constantly darting around the room, but it always returned to Guila.

"Come here, Ariel." She couldn't help but smile at the approaching thing's honesty and faith.

To think that it would completely forego the abuse she laid upon it, in favor of appreciation.

Now so close to the doll that that they could feel each other's breathing - Guila raised her hand and slapped it.

"What took you so long? Huh? Tell me?"

The thing's ears must still be ringing, because it didn't answer. It just stared at her, wide eyed, trembling and terrified.

Frozen in place and barely even breathing.

The sense of betrayal, the shock, the pain, they were all emotions that Guila only knew too well.

She thought she would feel some sense of satisfaction from showing the toy it's place. Some momentary joy from feeling her palm across its cheek. She sought the same joy, the same release she always thought she could from the other noblewomen.

And yet…

There was none of that here.

Only shame.

Shame as she retracted the hand which slapped it. Shame as she tried to hide it with her other hand. Shame as she leaned back, afraid of retribution that she knew would never come.

It was just an impulse. She just took the chance that she was given. Not even seeing the value that having such a chance meant.

"I'm…" 'Sorry.'

But she couldn't even say it. Yes she hated it, but there was no more anger… so the only thing that held her back from doing so now, was…

It was ego.

Finally, she understood her true sin against this child. Not anger. Not abuse.

But for thinking that she was inherently better than it. For being so egoistic that she thought she could do whatever she wanted to it.

Always the same mistake, from childhood to now and even until the future.

Even now, when she should be lowering her head, she was instead trying to justify her earlier actions towards the girl. It was natural to harm it, because it caused her pain first. It was okay to accept a life where it would be subjected to her daily abuse, because her mind was still reeling from her own shock and pain.

Yet never once did she blame the common factor. For how could she? Why would she do so? Everyone commits mistakes. This was just another one of hers. To do so would mean accepting the fact that the last ten years of her life was also built upon a mistake.

It was during that strained silence, where they gazed into one another with heartache and despair in their eyes, that the door opened.

The two's reactions couldn't be any more different, as Guila shifted her gaze to look, while Ariel kept staring at her mistress.

Standing right outside the room, was an older bronze-skinned lady in a white uniform with blue trimmings. She was of similar height to Guila, it seemed. Perhaps a bit shorter. But she was accompanied by two much taller security personnel in similar uniforms. All three had the same buzzcut but the men were clearly of lower rank based on the patches below their neck.

However, their outfits were smeared with blood and gunk, even the woman's name tag was unreadable. There was also a haggard feel around the three. They were tired. So tired, yet there was a fire in their eyes.

"Secure that thing! Properly, this time!" At her order, the two men entered the room first and dragged Ariel across the curtain. But even though she didn't struggle, she still heard a dull thud.

"Hey, that belongs to my husband!" Guila yelled, as even from this distance, she could hear the toy whimper from the cloth straps being tightened far too much. "Be careful with it!"

They were both his property, after all. Since it was incapable of protecting itself, it of course fell to her to make sure that they were both of the best quality. So quickly did her shame evaporate and give way to some twisted sense of responsibility.

However, she found herself stuck in place, knowing full well that -

A hand grabbed her shoulder and she was quickly shoved off the bed.

For a second , she felt nothing. Like it didn't even happen to her. But then, that moment passed and she heard a sickening pop from her right shoulder.

"Aah-AAAaAH!!!!"

But she couldn't even scream properly, before a kick was sent into her gut - forcing her to spew out bile and coagulation blood.

Then came another kick.

"Aiiehk!"

What was happening?! She couldn't process it, at all. First she and the doll were rescued. Given a room all to themselves, and now this?!

It was a small mercy that it was the woman, instead of the men doing this to her. For her movements were crude. But soon enough, the woman stopped at stood just opposite of the bile puddle.

"You disgust me, you know that?" The woman said, glaring with a hatred so potent that it dwarfed even the worst emotions she held for Ariel.

With her face contorted with rage, the woman squatted down and grabbed Guila's hair, forcing her to look up. "Luckily, it doesn't matter what state you are in when we ever delivered you to the Count, since I already said you were in critical condition."

"I'm… a hostage?" Guila coughed out.

"That's right. Both of you are. Your motherless bastard of a husband and his goons took the entire bridge hostage, with the guns that you made. Ain't that just amazing, eh, traitor? We were going to trade you for the crew."

"Then why are you hurting us…?"

"'Were' is the keyword, dear. We lost contact with the bridge and the entire area was hermetically sealed. But don't worry, I'm only hurting you. Now get back on your bed before I slam your head against your own vomit."

Although the picture was still incomplete, Guila believed she knew enough. There must have been a reason why the Count took them hostage. A reason that concerned Imperial lives.

"Although you might now both be widowed Imperial women, which means you're less than half of a human, we in the Federation belive in an inherent value within people. You'll get three meals a day and even access to a bathroom."

But, even as she was forced to listen to her words, while crawling across the floor, she didn't worry about his fate. Because her faith in him was unshakeable.

"He's alive… and he'll kill you for this."

"Oh really now? I'm surprised you still have the balls to speak after that. I guess you really were raised in the Federation. Still got that tenacity. I'll make sure to tell him that if he does show up."

And with that, the three left the room - with the door closing behind them. It was probably locked. But even if it wasn't, it's not like either of them could get out.

After all, even now, Guila can only lie against the bed frame - unable to get back on it.

However, even as she gasped and reeled from the smell of her own bile at ammonia - she stared beyond the curtain.

"Ariel… I…" Although her shoulder stung and hung limply, she bit back the pain, and called out again. She couldn't let this continue.

This matter was beyond even the matter of her own survival.

Before her husband came to rescue them, she needed to say it. She no longer had a reason not to. Whatever pride she may had had left, was well and truly shattered in the child's eyes.

She had nothing left to project.

"Ariel… I'm sorry…"

Even though she thought she no longer had any tears left to cry, they still blurred her vision and felt so cold on her cheeks. As cold as the refusal of her apology that she knew would come.

For who could ever accept such words from her?

No one. No one at all.

No one except the eager and gentle child that she killed out of hatred and jealousy.

Only now that she lost the one person that she could've made her ally, did she truly lament what she could've had.

An actual friend.

"I'm so, so sorry… please… never forgive me!"