Who Do You Think You Are? (Ra'i and Robert) - Bella's Castle

Bella's gaze went cold again, before lowering to the ground. "Yeah."

"How?" There was something in her gaze that made him not want to know the answer but he needed to know.

She sighed some, "Whenever.. whenever Darque didn't want to get their hands dirty, or needed entertainment, they would.." She glanced off to the side, sighing once more. "Have.. Celeste torture me - slice me open so they could see my insides, or whatever they wanted that evening.."

Normally Robert killed impassionately, quiet and quick. But there was murder in his eyes now, murder and rage. He had no words, no compassion for the woman anymore, nothing but anger. The next they met would be there last. Roberts mind spun, he had allowed her to touch him, he had touched her. He suddenly felt exceedingly dirty and sick.

Concern crossed Bella's pretty eyes as she whispered, "Robert.. Adam... Hey.."

His eyes softened at the word Adam. And he returned to look at her, "I'm so sorry." His eyes were sorrowful and sad.

"It's okay.. look, she isn't drinking that witch's blood anymore... She probably isn't even the same person she was.. it's been two decades."

He nodded, "Perhaps but that doesnt make any of it right."

She shrugged some, "We've all done things we deserve to be damned for.."

He looked at her shocked, "No, I believe exceptions exist in this world."

"In our world - this world - I think a ghoul following orders is one of the best exceptions."

He shook his head, "She is unbondable, thateams she chose with no further choice to do what she did. If she had been bound, I could understand all too well, but she wasn't."

She shook her head once more. "She just needs guidance. 300 years is a long time to have Darque as a rolemodel."

Robert nodded, "You don't feel any anger towards her then, no desire to get an apology?"

She shook her head a bit, shrugging. "Grudges.. take too much work. And that was quite a long time ago."

"Okay, I understand." He smiles sadly, "I'm sorry."

She nodded in a final sort of way. "It's okay."

He nodded slowly, "Bella... Whatever you want, ill do."

She shrugged a little, "Just be nice to people - don't do anything I wouldn't do.." She smiled sweetly. "It helps me.. Raz0r.. she said I shouldn't be so nice. That it wasn't normal for our kind.. that it made me more weak."

Robert nodded, "I'll do what I can." He couldn't promise he'd slip at some point but he'd damn try.

She nodded a little, pushing a curly strand of hair behind her ear with a sweet smile. "That's all I can ask.."

Robert smiled up at her, "I'll do my best." He reached up again to touch her cheek.

She nodded slowly, pulling back slightly from the touch. "Not here, or now.."

He nodded, but his warm smile remained even as he pulled his hand away.

"Okay."

His smile brought one to her own lips, glad to see he understood. "Thank you."