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Octavia searched for her daughter and found her sitting on the kitchen. She quickly approached and placed a hand on Regan's shoulder.

"Sweetie, are you alright?" she asked, her eyes filled with concern.

"No, mom, I'm not alright. I feel like I'll suffocate if I stay in this damned place any longer," Regan said, her voice filled with desperation and frustration. "I can't stand it anymore. I don't want this."

"Ylor, I don't want this either. But we have to be patient. He's not someone we can directly confront. We have to play along for now, until we find a way out," Octavia said, her tone gentle but convincing, "I promise you, we'll find a way to escape from here."

But Regan wasn't convinced. She didn't believe escaping would help. 

"Even if we escape, he's going to find us," she said with slumped shoulders. "If we got rid of him once and for all, then we can finally be free."

"Get rid of him like what?" Octavia asked.

"Like....like....I don't know," Regan replied. "I don't want to kill him." And it was true, she didn't want to kill him. She wanted to get rid of Sirius, like to imprison him into the underworlds or just sent him light years away from her sight. 

But when she thought how handsome and caring he was that morning, she felt like she was commiting a sin. At least he didn't take advantage of what she was wearing, he didn't even seem to look at her in that way. And that all added to her confusion and frustration. Not because she wanted him to look at her like that, of course, but because the belief that he had no honor and moral had wrapped around her heart like a vine and she couldn't be free of it. She didn't want to believe he had any good in him. And so, she called it all lies and manipulation, convincing herself that he was nothing more than a cruel, wicked ruler.

"You can't kill him even if you wanted," Octavia said, her expression unreadable.

"What?" Regan asked, her mind racing with questions, "He-he's not immortal, right?"

"No, it's not about that," Octavia answered, "It's about....about you, Ylor. If you were to kill him, the bond would haunt you forever. It would be a nightmare you couldn't escape. And even if you wanted to kill him, he has allies, a whole mass of realms backing him up. We can't fight them all."

"But the bond, the bond has haunted me all that damn time," Regan said in frustration, "he has been haunting me for all this time!"

Her mother looked at her, her eyes filled with regret. "That's different, Ylor. You don't know what killing him does to you. He's not just anyone."

"And it is the same about him? I mean, if he kills me, it won't haunt him?" Regan shot back, her voice trembling with anger.

Octavia took a deep breath, her eyes sad. "No, it's not the same. He has control of these powers. It wouldn't haunt him the way it would you."

Regan felt a knot in her stomach, her anger morphing into despair. "And how do you know that, mom? Have you seen what he's capable of?"

Octavia's eyes searched hers. "Yes, sweetie. I've seen it. It's dark magic, my dear. It doesn't let one to feel as we do. He has obtained dark magic long ago, he is numb to experience the effects of such a bond."

"But-but he could feel my presence, I think," Regan murmured, her voice quivering.

"That's something instinctive, my love," Octavia said softly, stroking Regan's hair. "It's not the same as feeling remorse or guilt."

"But mom, we have to do something. We can't stay trapped like this," Regan said as her mother pulled away, "We need to set justice. He should be sent to prison."

"I know, sweetie, I know," Octavia said, cupping Regan's face with her hands, "But I don't want to fight about this. I want to be with you. I've missed you for so long," Octavia said, cupping Regan's face with her hands and looking deep into her eyes. "I don't want to fight him. I just want to be with you and live a peaceful life. If we can find a way to make him leave us alone, I'll be grateful. But if not, then I still don't want you to get yourself hurt. You're all I have left in this world, my little angel."

Tears started to fall from Regan's eyes as she looked into her mother's caring gaze. They hugged tightly, Octavia gently stroking her hair. Regan wanted to ignore him, to pretend he didn't exist. But that was impossible. He was everywhere. Even when he wasn't physically there, he was still in her mind, taunting her, making her doubt her own feelings. She wanted so badly to be free from him, to be able to live her life without constantly being afraid of what he might do and without being provoked every single time she saw him.

"I know, Mom. I'll do everything to protect you. But I can't stay and act like this doesn't bother me. I can't pretend that I'm okay with this," Regan said, sniffling and wiping her tears away. "I want to find a way out of here, and I want to do it soon. I don't want to wait any longer. I don't want him to take us time anymore. We deserve to be together and without having his nagging shadow over us."

Octavia held her daughter close, trying to comfort her as much as she could. She wished there was something more she could do, something that would make everything better. But all she could do was be there for her, support her and help her. She didn't want Regan to fight, she wanted them to be safe. But Regan was so stubborn, so determined.

When they turned to the dining hall, Sirius wasn't there anymore. Regan was grateful that he wasn't. She didn't want to see him anymore. They ate in silence, each one in their thoughts. Regan still was determined to find a way to defeat him while Octavia was trying to find a way to protect her daughter without involving fighting or violence. 

After they finished eating, they turned back to their chambers. Regan wondered how he was leaving them to wander freely, when they were threats. But she didn't want to think about it. She needed to focus on herself, on finding a way out of here.

As soon as she entered the chamber, she was bored. She wanted to do something, something exciting. She had been in very dangerous situations lately, being in the underworlds, fighting with monsters, and exploring various worlds and realms. 

But now, she was trapped here again. Yes, she had her mother, the only one she loved and cared for the most. But she wanted them both to be free. She wanted to live their lives, not just survive.

"Mom, I don't want to stay here. You can go in. I'll find something to kill time," Regan said to her mother, pacing back and forth in the chamber.

"No, sweetie. You're not going anywhere alone. I'll find something for us to do together," Octavia insisted, her worried expression making Regan worried as well.

"But, mom, I'm very bored. I don't want to stay like some mundane princess, who just sits and does nothing. At least we're not being locked in that room. Yes, we're supposed to stay here, but I don't want to be bored to death. I want to do something. Anything. Please, come with me, I'll find a way to keep us both entertained. Please, mom." Regan begged, her eyes pleading with her mother. She couldn't stand the thought of being stuck here, doing nothing but waiting for him to come back and taunt them again.

Octavia pursued her lips, her face tight with worry, "Alright. But what are we going to do? Do you know the ways around?"

"Yes, yes, I know," she said and took her mother's hand.

They wandered around the empty hallways, trying to find something to do. Regan wondered where the witches were but she was also grateful they weren't around. Maybe they had some job to do or maybe he had gotten rid of them. Because if they were in the castle, there was no way they wouldn't show themselves. She really hoped they weren't here.

"Well, it seems we're completely lost. We should have stayed there," Octavia said after a while.

Regan didn't answer and as she looked straight, she saw a set of grand doors she remembered seeing before.

"These are the doors to the garden," she said with a sigh. They went to that direction and Regan pushed open the doors a bit. They cracked a small opening, letting the light come inside the dark corridor. 

She took her mom's hand and they walked out together. They met with the fresh, warm air. The sky was blur and the air was filled with the sounds of chirping birds and other noisy insects. The trees stood tall and menacing and the scent of the roses filled her nostrils immediately, making her nauseous for a moment.

"Well, this place is beautiful. If only we were in a prettier situation," Octavia said, breathing the fresh air. She had been imprisoned for ages that she had forgotten what it had been like to breathe pure air. Regan looked at her mother, feeling guilty for their situation but at least they weren't being locked completely, she thought.

As they walked around, Regan couldn't help but be taunted by the roses. She wanted to get one of them so badly, to tear its petals off and to stomp on it. They weren't only red, some were blue and some were green. She had never seen these colors before but they were beautiful nonetheless.

"There's a swing there," Regan pointed at a wooden swing set. "Should we try it out?"

"Are you sure it's safe?" Octavia asked.

"Well, it looks safe enough," Regan said and patted the seat. "Come on, mom. Let's do something different."

Octavia hesitated for a moment but then reluctantly sat on the swing, pushing herself gently. The swing started moving slowly at first, making her nervous. But as she gained momentum, she began to enjoy it. The breeze brushed against her face, and the birds sang merrily in the trees. It felt like they were in another world, far away from the castle and its dark secrets.

Regan watched her mother swing back and forth, her hair flying behind her, and she couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. She wished things could be different, but at least, she had her mother now and it was the most important person she had.

As they continued to swing, Regan couldn't help but think about her father. By all that she had been hearing, her father had been a bad king, a selfish and cruel man. But she didn't know anything about him. She had never met him, and she knew only what Sirius had been telling her. She glanced at her mother, wondering if she should ask. But she decided to not ask, since her mother hadn't mentioned anything about her father either.

Regan began to feel nauseous by the swing and she slowed down a bit. The scent of the roses was just adding up to that. She wanted to do something else but she didn't really know what. But maybe there was really some other thing to do.

"You're alright, sweetie?" Octavia asked, her expression filled with worry.

"Yes, mom," Regan replied, "I'm taking a walk around. My mind's dizzy from the swing." Octavia nodded and stayed on the swing. Regan walked slowly around the garden, taking in the sights and sounds. The small cute creatures she had seen once before hugged at her feet and they made her smile despite herself. She stopped in front of a fountain, its water trickling gently down into a small pool. 

The water seemed to shimmer in the sunlight, almost like it was alive. She reached out, feeling its coolness on her fingertips. It was so peaceful here, she thought, almost as if the world outside didn't exist.

As she glanced around, the roses were even more provoking, more taunting. It was as if they were luring her in, inviting her to come closer, to touch them, to smell them. She found herself drawn to a particular rose bush, its red petals glowing in the sunlight. 

Reaching out, she tentatively touched one of the petals, feeling its softness beneath her fingertips. It was so beautiful, so delicate, she thought. 

She picked it from the bush, but it was full of thorns. Carefully, she brought it to her nose, inhaling its sweet scent. She remembered how she wanted to tear the rose but now, she couldn't.

It really didn't seem that evil.

"You have my taste in flowers," a husky voice called from behind her.