Emmaline subtly leads her sister away from the crowds

Emmaline was taken aback at first by the appearance of her sister, but she also quickly recognized that here in the middle of a crowded ballroom full of Nobles who would have loved nothing more than to catch wind of a little scandal was no place to make a scene. She lifted her glass to her lips, fully draining the remainder of it before flagging a waiter down for two more all while her Caroline stared at her in disbelief. Holding out one of the glasses as an offering, Emmaline finally acknowledged Caroline.

Caroline had never really been sure what to expect of her oddball sister, but silence was almost never on the table. She looked at Emmaline curiously, accepting the offered glass.

"I have yet to see much of the castle grounds, though I hear they're rather pretty. Lady Dieudonne has employed many of the best groundskeepers in the nation--I feel it would be a waste not to visit. Would you walk with me?" though she spoke in the tone of casual wealth, Emmaline's eyes had an icy look of absolute seriousness which had been uncharacteristic of her even before she had ran away all those years ago. Caroline's rising eyebrow betrayed her surprise as Emmaline's serious demeanor.

Without waiting for her sister's reply, she began walking, leading the way toward one of the many broad archways which served as an exit to the castle grounds with a pace that was determined, but slow enough for Caroline to catch up quickly. The younger of the two hesitated for just a moment, finishing the drink in her hand and setting the glass on a nearby table before hurrying along behind Emmaline.

As they reached the archway, out of earshot of others, Caroline spoke up. "What is the matter, sister? I've never seen you like this. Are you in danger?" She sighed and shook her head, "I knew that running away would bring you nothing but trouble!"

"No, not at all," Emmaline said. The cool nighttime air felt refreshing after being inside, surrounded by warm bodies. "I don't think anyone even really knows we're here, actually. I'd just like to keep it that way."

Emmaline turned again, leading her sister just a bit further into the yard before suddenly turning behind a topiary, the elegantly cut dragon-shaped bush would block line of sight from the main manor as well. Apart from the distant roar of conversation in the background and the soft chirping of insects, there were alone.

With some distance between them and the other guests, Emmaline's serious demeanor immediately dropped. Her cool, serious look split into a wide smile as she suddenly grabbed Caroline, pulling her into a tight hug. "Oh, its so good to see you again! I missed you so much, Cal!"

***

This chapter was co-authored by BriefcaseRonin(https://chyoa.com/user/BriefcaseRonin) who is wonderful and awesome! Please check out her other writing :)