"And I thought that was a dragon's trait alone," Prince Damien smiled, pleased with her possessiveness. "But I would expect no less of you my magnificently malevolent Fairy." 
"Go to sleep," she tried to command but he wasn't one of her darlings to be Charmed. She finally broke eye contact and lay on her back once more, determined to ignore him despite having brought him here herself. 
And maybe he'd been a little correct in thinking that she'd brought him to her bed so she wouldn't have to be in this room alone for the night. Now that there was silence and a chance to think, Emberlee's heart uselessly raced as her mind played it over and over again. She couldn't turn her back to the balcony, the moment she couldn't see the opening it felt like another fabric gag would snap across her mouth, choking her. The sides of her mouth had cracked slightly when the assassin had used the leather strap, and her wrists were likewise chafed, and Emberlee's head still echoed with pain. She was lucky the rugs of her room were so decadent, or else he might have cracked her head open. She was also lucky to still be hale and here. Now she was the one shaking and she couldn't get it to stop, hot tears leaking out beyond her control. 
She was scared, angry, and tired, and trying to hold it all together as if none of it affected her at all. It was not the time to be acting all emotional, but Emberlee could only prevent further humiliation by covering her mouth to smother any potential sound from escaping. But either it wasn't as silent as she needed it to be or else Prince Damien wasn't as asleep as she'd believed, because he pulled her into a comforting embrace without a word. If he'd made any kind of asinine criticism of it after her earlier statements, she'd have stabbed him with the sword he gave her, so it was a good thing he merely held her until the wave of unwanted emotions passed. And to her lasting embarrassment, she fell asleep before moving away. 
Morning brought a tender head, an empty bed, and thankfully no lingering shame to contend with. It had already happened, being ashamed of it now would just be suffering twice. Prince Damien had probably returned to his room after her somnolence, so she was spared any company until she decided to pull the bell chord and summon Leah. Soon enough she'd have to eat and begin preparations for Father's Banquet tonight, but first, she stood in front of the Mirror and inspected her reflection. 
Her lips looked as cracked as they felt, but her hair hid the lump on her head so there was no other sign of the struggle; her wrists could be hidden by jewelry. There was no trace of the blood she'd seen painting the reflection either, but she had felt something last night that had been overlooked until now. 
I can use this Mirror now, can't I? She asked her Fairy self, already throwing the answer. 
It's been anointed in blood and power, Cinderella confined. 
But not Méabh's, She hadn't determined what exactly this meant, but for now, she'd have to focus on the task at hand. 
She'd claimed the Mirror and could feel it connect to the one she'd anointed outside the Emperor's office and the one in distant Ortega. The night might have given her trauma, but it'd also given her a way home. 
Locking the door to the bathroom offered Emberlee a sense of security, enough for her to enjoy her bath. Modern plumbing meant she required no servants to fill or heat it, and she'd long ago grown accustomed to tending her needs. She preferred herb-infused baths over florals or oils, and her hair was clean if tangled. She didn't linger, pragmatic enough to realize Leah would need time to prepare her hair and makeup after she ate. 
Thankfully her day followed the internal schedule she'd set, breakfast done in her room before allowing Leah as long as she desired to dress Emberlee up for the Banquet; ironically Emberlee was finally getting to wear the dress she'd made for Vivian's debut. The bruises around her wrists were nearly unnoticeable under the careful administration of tinted makeup to disguise them, and Leah left her hair down to provide a darker accent compared to the sky-blue dress and silver chains. The silver and gemstones of the dress were all from Ortega directly, tastefully showcasing her March's resources, and the colours of her outfit were unapologetically Ortegan as well. Only the engagement ring on her finger and the relic in her ear were from Prince Damien; the heavily decorated dress requiring very little accessorizing.