~ ωση∂єяℓαη∂ ~ discussion

the north wing is where guests of the queen stay. this includes the students she is teaching magic to.

Dawn had wandered over to one of the big bay windows which overlooked the Red Queen's garden. She was in one of her moods again. Uncaring and unfeeling. She was thinking again, working mentally on one of the projects the queen had given her.

Azalea had been walking around, not knowing what to do the whole day. She hadn't had anything to do all day, and She was still thinking about her sister. She looked around and saw Dawn. "Hey, can you wait here? I'll just speak with her." She told her Gaurd, even if she didn't wait for him until she walked towards Dawn. "Hey."

"Oh. Azalea." Dawn's tone was one of indifference, and she didn't turn to look at her friend as she spoke. "The rose gardens are very pretty," she added in an almost robotic tone.

Azalea looked at them. "I suppose." She shrugged. "If you like red on everything. Pedals, floor." She said, chuckling a little

"Red…" Dawn mused. "Red, like blood." Her depression was making its appearance, as usual. It had been too much for her to even think that she'd just remain unfeeling. Dammit, Dawn thought. Damn my life.

She raised an eyebrow. "Or red like strawberries, cherry, lip gloss." She grabbed her hand. "It depends on how you want to see things." She said.

"I don't really think I have a choice," Dawn replied moodily. "Red, like blood," she repeated. "That's all it'll ever mean to me. It was red, like his blood."

Azalea froze. Jake, her brother. She didn't know what say, so she just hugged her.

Dawn stood stiffly as Azalea hugged her. She didn't want pity. She had enough pity for herself and she hated herself for it.

Azalea pulled away and looked at Dawn. She realized she was probably on one of her moods, so she sighed. "I miss him." She said

"You think I don't?" Dawn asked quietly.

She shrugged. "I know you do." She said. "Everyone misses him, even Roxanne does."

A small pang of anger flashed across Dawn's face, her furious expression lasting only a second. "Roxanne sent him into battle," she whispered. "But… But the rebels killed him." Confused yet again over who should take the blame of her brother's death, Dawn pressed a hand to her forehead and refused to meet Azalea's eyes.

Azalea shook her head. "Roxanne didn't do it, remember? She had just became Queen, and mother had already sent him before her death." Se said, refusing others to think Roxanne was a monster

"She was the one who pushed him," Dawn mumbled. "She told him it was for a good cause, that it was for me. And you told him the same thing. And so did I." Dawn hugged herself, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I'm a fool," she said under her breath.

She shook her head. "He did it because it was the right thing to do. He saved you...he saved me." She said, holding her hand.

"And now he's dead," Dawn said furiously. "I could've engineered something to keep him safe but I was too busy making my stupid drawings." She wiped her eyes with her free hand and glared at the rose garden outside the window.

She sighed. "You need to stop blaming yourself. He chose to o help his people." She said

"But I could have helped," Dawn told her angrily. "I didn't." Tears slipped out of her eyes and slid down her cheeks.

She shook her head. "Dawn.." She started, not knowing how to continue

Dawn turned away, furiously wiping tears from her eyes. She hated herself for being so weak.

She sighed. "Think of it as this: He died as a good man. He didn't do anything wrong. He loved and fought for his country." She said

"I did something wrong. I could have protected him. I didn't," Dawn muttered, staring at the floor.

She shrugged. "He didn't die because of you. " She insisted

"I could have helped him. It is my fault," Dawn argued, hugging herself.

She shook her head. "Was it my fault my father died?" She asked suddenly.

"No." Dawn's voice was shaky. "No."

She nodded. "I could have stopped him, but I didn't because he wanted to help his country." She said.

"But- but-" Defeated, Dawn hung her head. "I'm stupid, aren't I, for thinking things like… like… it was my fault..." She burst into tears.

"Well...a little. But don't stress on it." She said

Dawn didn't reply, just hung her head, occasionally wiping tears from her eyes. "God, I'm just sad." She paused. "Sad is what I am."

She wrapped an arm around her neck. "Look at everyone, and you'll notice most of them are sad." She said, looking around. "Your not alone, you have me."

"I'm the saddest," Dawn argued. "Everyone else smiles. I don't." Dawn sighed, leaning her head against Azalea's shoulder and trying to keep from crying again. "Thanks for being there."

Azalea smiled. "No problem. Actually, thank you for being with me when my family broke apart."She said.

"I wish I could have been more help back then," Dawn murmured. "How's your sister? I haven't seen her in a while. She wanted me to design something… I think it was some sort of escape system for the royal family."

Azalea looked at her. "Escape? Why would we need to escape?" She wondered

"If we're attacked," Dawn said simply. "I won't let you and your family go the same way my brother did. I promise."

Azaleas smiled. "If that we're to happen, i would want you to go as far away as you can." She said

"That's where I come in. I'm thinking of some route… Some place safe, a place to hide," Dawn replied.

She nodded. "Sounds good, but it would have to be really hidden." she said, thoughtfully

"I was thinking some sort of robot? Maybe it could compact itself into a a smaller shape or something like that?" Dawn shrugged.

She shook her head. "We'd need something for more than half of the people in the palace...more like a boat? Maybe give it some anti gravity to make it fly." She said brain stormed

"How? I mean, achieving antigravity would be… well, near impossible." Dawn pressed her head against the wall, rubbing her temples.

She shrugged. "Then maybe just give it the same thing airplanes use...engines." She said

"Yes, but it'd take too long. Fueling, warming up, having to go down a runway… It'd be useless in an attack," Dawn replied.

she nods. "Then we can design tunnels."

"What if the rebels find out about them? Blow them up? There'd be no escaped," Dawn said.

She thought about it. "Then maybe we dont need to design escape places only, but more updated Weaponds and defenses." She said

"Will you be able to handle a weapon? You're a princess, not a soldier," Dawn told her.