Even as she bathed in the somewhat somber silence, Sybil couldn't help but think of what kind of situation she'd gotten herself into. While her mind never once flashed to regretting coming through to save Prince Cyne, she did definitely regret getting caught. Even if it reignited the war, her job wasn't to protect herself, or even her realm. She'd completely given herself to protecting her Prince. She remembered the first time she'd ever seen the King's guard. Every detail was seared into her mind, reminding her of where she came from. She was still young, hadn't become a woman yet, when her village was attacked. One of the smaller villages on the outskirts of His Majesty's control, it wasn't uncommon for the towns to become easy targets. The leeches weren't just bandits or raiding parties of warring countries though. They didn't make deals, didn't make do with just kidnapping a local or two.<br/><br/>The screams and crackling was something she still had nightmares about. The outlying towns had their mages, but nothing like the King's army. It was only luck that the King's forces had arrived in time to keep her from being found by one of the leeches. Buried under the rubble of her burnt home, the measly bedframe her parents shared was the only thing keeping her from being crushed and burned alive. Even after they drove back the forces and she was taken as one of the few survivors to the King's own castle, it took several weeks for the healing mages to make her better. But the King's oldest son wasn't much older than her at the time, and Lord Keagan had a messenger send for her. That was when she first met Arias, Ruger, and Triste. All of them were children beyond help, all of their parents either missing, dead, or imprisoned. They'd been made his personal guard, moving their ranks from common peasant orphans to high ranking knights in the King's army. None of them dared defy their position, and it wasn't long before the four of them were inseparable.<br/><br/>When they were finally introduced to the Prince himself, they were each formidable mages themselves, trained alongside the other mages of the King's army, but he was on a whole different level. While the others were perfected by masters of their own elements, only Sybil shared her element with Prince Cyne. Although he was only years older than her, the next few years they'd spend together would hone her abilities more so than any training she'd ever done as a basic warmage. Over the short course of the time they'd spend serving in the war, even as fresh mages to the war, they had the most knowledge, and some of the best training, they'd forge one of the strongest possible bonds as a team. Each of them was willing to put their life down for Prince Cyne, and although it never came to it, they knew he would too. Lord Keagan and Prince Cyne had so much confidence in their abilities that even the heir to the throne was on the front lines in the war, often leading them as a spear head for a much larger force. Most of the other mages took pride in keeping track of how many leeches they'd managed to kill, most of them only ever reaching 4 or 5 at best. The Highest Guard however, wouldn't even be able to keep count if they tried. Each fueled by their own purposes, and more over their loyalty to their indomitable leader, they made a near unstoppable force.<br/><br/>And that very reason was why the tears ran down her face, hardly covered by the magical waters, trying as she might. The guilt she felt burned as each tear ran down her cheeks in silence. While being as courteous as he always was, never once glancing at her in her exposed state, his hand rested on her shoulder, comforting her. The deep heat of his magic ran through even through just his palm, silently telling her that he was still here. That her purpose wasn't one she'd failed. Even now, stuck in the realm of leeches, surrounded by what she could only ever consider monsters, that he was safe, and with her in tow. Shuddering from her exertion to stay quiet, the only thing keeping her from giving in was his gentle, but firm hand.