Jade woke alone with her face buried in her tear stained pillow. She longed for Damon's touch, his body pressed against hers. For the warmth of his arms around her.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Euw gross, don't think about that.</span><br/><br/>Jade scowled and sat up. It's my head, not yours. Stay out of my thoughts.<br/><br/>It's not like I want to be in here. I'm not doing this for you, I'm doing this for that idiot brother of mine.<br/><br/>"Oh shut the fuck up bitch." Jade snarled, pushing herself out of the bed. She pulled off the hideous dress Viola had made her wear and stormed into the shower.<br/><br/>Clean, she wrapped herself in a silver lace gown and quickly tied her hair up in a simple, but elegant wrap.<br/><br/>Prepared now, though her legs were shaking, she made her way down to the dining hall to have breakfast with her father's court.<br/><br/>---<br/><br/>Aldric smiled brightly as his daughter entered the dining hall. Though she still looked at him with unadulterated hatred in her eyes, she was complying with his wishes to resume her previous life.<br/><br/>"Before I go any further with this little charade of yours father, I have a few condition." She said, lifting her eyes to his.<br/><br/>"Pray tell, my young daughter."<br/><br/>Jade waited a moment to see if Mia would have something to say. When there was silence, she spoke. "I will have no part in the torture or beating of Vivian Montague. Viola Malikov is to stay away from me. I am to be allowed three hours alone every day. One of these hours will be spent with Vivian, out on the grounds, riding. I will agree to being accompanied by two, and no more than two, guards during my riding sessions with Vivian." She paused to take a bite of her breakfast. She chewed, measuring the expression on his face. "I will be trained in the use of weaponry as well. That is all, I believe."<br/><br/>Aldric laid his fork down and considered her proposal. He wanted his daughter the way she had been before her accursed mother had snuck her away from his grasp. He frowned, touched his fingers to each other in front of his face and returned her gaze to her. "All right then, but there will be four guards for your little riding jaunts. Two for each of you. And I will inform Viola that she is to maintain her distance."<br/><br/>"Deal." Jade replied coolly. "In that case, we'll be going on our ride now. Afterwards, I'll expect someone in the armory to begin my lessons in sparring." She stood, smiled, and turned away. "I'll expect Vivian to be in the stables when I get there."<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Very good little one, I'm impressed with your diplomacy.</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">I'm a full grown adult, and I learned a trick or two, despite being raised to be a murderer. Now lets see if we can't get out of here, and maybe even keep me from murdering your brother.</span><br/><br/>Mia's voice rang with laughter.<span style="font-style: italic">He's in love with you, even if he doesn't know it yet.</span>Mia's voice was silent for a moment.<span style="font-style: italic">And you're in love with him too. You won't kill him, you couldn't even if you wanted to.</span>