To Capture A Heart (girlxgirl)

Part Eight

To say I was relieved that my father stopped talking about the whole marriage thing, after that meeting, would be an understatement. With everything else that had been going on, it was a relief to not have to think about that too. My arms were aching from the training I had done the previous evening. My father suggested that it was important for both Sebastian and I to continue to train due to the fact that he had a feeling that Avery's parents would be arriving soon. I exhaled in my worry. This was all because of me. I kept wondering whether keeping Avery here was the right way to deal with this situation? However, what was my alternative- to return Avery to the Sparrow Empire's castle in the expectancy of a thank you note? I didn't think so. Besides, I wasn't too sure that Avery even wanted to leave. 

The last time that we had properly spoken she had just said to me that she wanted to get away. Had that meant that she wanted to get away from her parents? My mind couldn't help but wonder about that matter. I supposed I was just going to have to talk to her about this. I didn't think I had much of a chance of getting a real response out of her, especially considering she had seemed drunk the last few times that I had seen her. Nevertheless, I had to try to be self-confident in my communication skills, even in the last few times that I had spoken to Avery had ended on a sour note. 

I supposed that I just had to focus on the positives. My friendship with Sebastian was still safe and my father had mostly left me to my own devices. When he had first found out about the whole Avery thing, of course he had been annoyed, but I think that I could understand that much. 

Upon making the decision that it was probably about time I went to visit Avery, I sorted out the collar of my red shirt and made sure the shoelaces on my brown boots were tied. I picked up a bottle and an apple before making my way out of the room and towards the cellar. 

Once I had arrived, I hadn't been expecting to see my father there, though there he stood. 

"I've told you already, old man, I don't know what you expect out of me but I won't answer to you. Oh hey, pumpkin. Mind going and getting a maid so that I can be taken to the shower room?" she asked me. 

"I will do, soon, Avery. However, you're not getting out of here that easily," I said. 

I turned back to my father and just shot him a look that said 'let me talk to her now'. 

I think that he caught onto my expression because he soon gave a subtle nod of his head, before leaving Avery and I. 

Avery wandered over to the cell bars and wrapped her slender hands around them until the knuckles turned white. 

"Hey pumpkin," she said, with a glint of amusement in her eyes, "Do you think you could call a guard down here? I think I saw a rat again earlier. You really need to fire the maid that looks after this place. Appalling efforts, on her part, as far as I'm concerned," she said. 

"Nice try, Sparrow, but you're not going to get away that easily," I said. 

Avery just narrowed her eyes at me. 

"Do you have another bottle I could have?" she asked. 

Ordinarily enough I would have handed the glass bottle over to her but I knew better. 

"Come on, I feel like doing some more target practice," she smirked, "The way your eyes widened. Are you scared, Starling?" she asked me. 

"Not of you," I said, "Just what your people do." 

"Whatever, pumpkin. Anyway...enough about what my people do. What about what your people do? Do you forget that the Sparrow Empire lost people in that war, too?" she asked me.