[Where she comes from... Jill is quiet for a beat.]
I was born in a place that was like this nearly year round. [Snow, ice. The North was cruel and harsh, but she never thought so. Rosaria felt colder, in its way.] But I grew up in a warmer climate, where anniversaries of battles and heroes were celebrated as much as the seasons and length of the day/
[She would call it what it was. 'Ward' implied a protection that didn't truly exist.]
You're nobility, if not royalty. [Jordana's read enough books to understand political hostages. Who the fuck took a six year old child as a hostage? Jordana's rage flared and she clenched her jaw a moment before she softened.]
I was raised alongside the princes. I was given every opportunity they were, and treated well.
[Archduke Elwin, at least, was kind. Anabella saw her only as an investment, someone to marry off for political gain. She has no love for any duchess.]
I would hope so, considering you were a child. But you were still a hostage.
[Of course, they treated her well. Political hostages situations go both ways. Mistreatment of the hostage would've been cause to incite the North to attack.]
[But that may be a biased opinion. Her memories of her family are dim, and she loves Clive and Joshua too much to ever imagine life without them again.]
Were you given the freedom to leave upon coming of age?
[Because then it was hard to put the veneer of ward on the situation. Was someone in Rosaria - these princes - trait wrong to harm a child if the Northmen had attacked? It made her sick to her stomach.]
[Her arms tightened about Jill, to give her comfort. Jordana could sympathize. Her four years in foster care was horrible. It felt like another land to her.]
I was mostly left alone in the prison. Treated kindly, even, by yourself and other guards. The Ironblood put me to work in horrific ways--and then, I was just a frightened girl.
[Were she who she is now, she'd have slaughtered them.]
[Jordana fell silent, her gaze going distant for a moment before she pulled herself out of the tunnel toward her past.]
I'm so sorry. If you ever want or need to talk about that time, there's a Rite only those of my tribe know that helps women heal spiritually after suffering.
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Re: cw: ref to animal death
Ironically, it's a little more awkward to hug a person than a canine, but Jill leans into it, kiss and all.]
Merry... Christmas.
[That's the thing she said, right? Jill can only assume it's meant to be said in return.]
Re: cw: ref to animal death
[Jordana assumed any awkwardness was from her having just shifted.]
You said winter holidays depend on the region. What about where your from?
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I was born in a place that was like this nearly year round. [Snow, ice. The North was cruel and harsh, but she never thought so. Rosaria felt colder, in its way.] But I grew up in a warmer climate, where anniversaries of battles and heroes were celebrated as much as the seasons and length of the day/
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[It made Jordana think about her immigration from Mexico to America when she was young.]
How is were you when you moved?
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I was taken as a ward of Rosaria when I was six.
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[Jordana was silent for a moment. 'Taken'.]
...I became a Ward of the State at ten. That meant I was placed into foster care after my mother died.
What does it mean for you ?
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[Which implies she's of some importance.]
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[She would call it what it was. 'Ward' implied a protection that didn't truly exist.]
You're nobility, if not royalty. [Jordana's read enough books to understand political hostages. Who the fuck took a six year old child as a hostage? Jordana's rage flared and she clenched her jaw a moment before she softened.]
I'm sorry.
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I was raised alongside the princes. I was given every opportunity they were, and treated well.
[Archduke Elwin, at least, was kind. Anabella saw her only as an investment, someone to marry off for political gain. She has no love for any duchess.]
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[Of course, they treated her well. Political hostages situations go both ways. Mistreatment of the hostage would've been cause to incite the North to attack.]
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[But that may be a biased opinion. Her memories of her family are dim, and she loves Clive and Joshua too much to ever imagine life without them again.]
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[Because then it was hard to put the veneer of ward on the situation. Was someone in Rosaria - these princes - trait wrong to harm a child if the Northmen had attacked? It made her sick to her stomach.]
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[So... no. Were she lucky it would have been Joshua or Clive, but she could never imagine Anabella allowing a savage to wed her precious Phoenix.]
But... Rosaria was invaded when I was twelve. I was taken to another land for a very long time.
[One so much worse than Rosaria.]
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[Her arms tightened about Jill, to give her comfort. Jordana could sympathize. Her four years in foster care was horrible. It felt like another land to her.]
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No. It was a place I'd consider worse than here, even with this cold.
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How could that be possible? You were here through the prison.
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[Were she who she is now, she'd have slaughtered them.]
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I'm so sorry. If you ever want or need to talk about that time, there's a Rite only those of my tribe know that helps women heal spiritually after suffering.
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I'm alright. It was a long time ago, and has since been put to rest.
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[Jordana put her palm over Jill's heart.]
If you are calm in here after all that, then you have a great will.