As Questa walked away, Sileas turned, muttering to herself "And maybe it's because I know Aunt Lia's right."

"What's this?" Wulfsen asked. He had missed Sileas's fight with Liadan Buckley.

Sileas started, not having realized she had spoken loudly enough to be heard. "Aunt Lia has forbidden me to be around Yehudit. She said I do nothing but lead her into danger and that I'm a bad influence. It wasn't enough that I told Yehudit to go for help, I should have taken her to safety before helping Millie. Yehudit would have just followed me back and Millie would have been dragged off." Sileas sighed. "Women just don't act the way I do. I'll never be good enough."

"You've always protected Yehudit, like all your cousins." Wulfsen said. "There really wasn't anything else you could have done that wouldn't have resulted in Millie getting taken... Yehudit needs to learn her limits."

"I know. It's just...I've been thinking, and I really don't know how to act ladylike and proper. It's never been my way. And it seems that most of time is spent protecting my cousins. Except for when I couldn't. It was my fault that Andy grabbed her and injured her so badly."

Wulfsen raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think your Aunt cares about you being ladylike and proper? She's not exactly..." Wulfsen shrugged. "I think it's better to protect those you care about than being ladylike. It wasn't your fault that Andy went after Yehudit, and didn't you save her from him in the end?"

"I had thought she would understand, having heard the stories of her exploits with Mama and Aunt Aislyn when they were our age, but...Apparently not. I did save her, but he only took her to hurt me," Sileas admitted.

"That still doesn't make it your fault." Wulfsen said. "Do you think this will blow over?"

"With Aunt Lia?" Sileas gave a mirthless laugh. "From what I understand, she hated Papa the moment she saw him holding Yehudit when she was a babe. She still despises him. I feel like I'm being cut off from my family. I can't even go to Mama in the healing room unless I know Yehudit's not there because she'll just follow me anywhere I want to go."

"What about Mr Buckley?" Wulfsen asked. "Can he reason with her?"

"He's never had any luck with it. They usually end up fighting when he tries. If he could reason with her, she would like Papa."

"Why is Mrs Buckley like that?" Wulfsen asked.

"Honestly? I don't know. I mean, I know she had a hard life growing up and that she had spent some time in custody and that's why she doesn't like guards. But Papa wasn't a guard then. She was angry that Uncle Aron and Aunt Aislyn let him hold Yehudit without her permission. She didn't know him, and that was all that mattered."

"Who held me without permission?" Yehudit's walking stick clunked angrily against the floor.

Sileas took a step backwards. "You can't be here. I have been told in no uncertain times to not be around you."

"**** that!" Yehudit said. "I'm old enough to decide where to go and who to be with."

Sileas hung her head. "This is not going to end well." She glanced at Wulfsen. "Please tell your men to be gentle with me when Aunt Lia has me arrested for this."

"If my men so much as lay a finger on you they'd have me to answer to." Wulfsen said. "Yehudit's of age, isn't she?"

"Mama hates guards and knights." Yehudit said. "If she wants to do something she'd come after you herself, and you can take her."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:56, Thu 14 Jan 2016.

"Yes, Yehudit's of age. Yehudit, I don't want to have to fight your mother. Even though she despises me, I love and admire her. I have no desire to fight."

"Then let her beat the tar out of you. I'm hanging out with you and she can't stop me." Yehudit said stubbornly.

Sileas bit her lower lip. "Fine. I know when I'm against a wall."

"Yehudit Buckley! I told you to keep away from her!" Liadan said angrily.

"You see?" Sileas said to Wulfsen. "Aunt Lia is very overprotective of Yehudit. Always has been, always will be."

"They 'ad a good yellin' row." Questa said as she followed Liadan Buckley, she raised Sileas's bow over her head. "Can I wack 'er over the bloomin' noggin?"