Reubon expelling his latest meal on the floor of the meeting room made Arabella's stomach churn harder than it already did, threatening to revolt and push her breakfast out.
But the most haunting part were the screams that still reached her ears beyond the doors as her father was being dragged out.
He clawed at the ground for one last glimpse of the prince, begging for one last chance to redeem himself before the man he so loyally served for many, many years before that.
Her body did its very best to drown out his wailing and pleading through cries of her own.
"All the noise," the prince clicked his tongue against his palate, "One would think you'd be grateful I finally reunited the whole family… Well, most of it," he chuckled, pushing his weight off the chair.
Arabella flinched at that sudden motion alone, squeezing her eyes shut in the hope that whatever blow was coming her way wouldn't sting as much if it wasn't perceived.
