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When Regan woke up, she stirred slowly, finding herself in the previous room she was in. She was lying on the bed, covered with blankets. She rubbed her eyes hard and yawned.However, the memories flooded back in and she felt a wave of fear wash over her. She remembered Sirius carrying her and she immediately shoved the blankets away, sighing in relief when seeing she was fully dressed. But then, her eyes widened when she saw her clothes better. They were the same, but they were brand new. The shirt and the pants weren't torn and dirty anymore. They looked as if they had just been bought from a store.Regan's heart raced and she slipped off the bed, walking over to the mirror to examine herself. She couldn't believe her eyes. Not only were her clothes pristine, but her hair looked just as better as the last time she had seen it. And her face....her face looked....she felt prettier, but she quickly hated herself for it.Even the cut on her forearm, which had been a visible scar before, was now barely noticeable, just a faint line of healed skin.Regan's sense of dread and anger raised expectantly, and her mind swirled with the usual cynical thoughts. She was sure Sirius had done something sinister to her while she was unconscious. She felt violated, angry, and frustrated at her own mistake. What if he had....had....She couldn't finish the thought. The possibilities were too horrifying. She paced around her room, her heart racing, her fists clenched. She wasn't scared of fighting, defying, yelling or whatever she had done to him. But she was terrified of being helpless, of not knowing what had happened, of feeling like he did something to her that she couldn't understand.Her mind raced. She didn't know what he did, but why were her clothes clean and her hair combed? She prayed to God that Sirius hadn't done anything like that to her.She felt helpless and mad. She prayed to God for a way, while blaming her own self for what was happening.Glancing out of the window, Regan saw it was day. And then she wondered if the door was still locked.She walked over to the door and surprisingly, it wasn't locked. She was sure of what she was going to do. She was going to find the bastard named Sirius and kill him.With determination, she stormed out of the room and the castle was eerily quiet, save for the hush of servants moving about their duties. Regan made her way through the corridors, and used the damned fire bond to find Sirius's presence. It seemed that he was in his chambers, and she wasn't surprised. When she reached there, she took a deep breath and then pushed open the doors forcefully, her hands trembling with anger.The room was dimly lit and Sirius was standing by the window, his back towards her, seemingly lost in thought.."What the hell did you do when I was asleep?" Regan demanded, her voice cutting through the air like a sharp blade. Sirius was unperturbed by her sudden entrance. He turned slowly to face her, his expression unreadable."Good morning, my princess," Sirius said calmly, his gaze meeting hers. "Did you sleep well?"Regan's fury flared even more at his nonchalant demeanor. "Shut up," she snapped. "You did something to me after you drugged me! I'm not a fool! I'm not a-""You flatter yourself," Sirius mocked. "You think I'm so interested in you?""I don't flatter myself at all," Regan retorted sharply, "I know what you're capable of and I know you did something and I'm going to-""So what if I did?" he interrupted again, his voice cold but his eyes filled with a sense of amusement."Then you're going to pay for it! I swear I'll make you regret ever laying a hand on me," Regan declared, her fists clenched at her sides. She took a step forward, her gaze burning with fury.Sirius raised an eyebrow, his expression turning thoughtful. "And how do you plan on making me regret it?" he asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm."You'll see," Regan replied, her voice low and menacing."Oh, I'm trembling in my boots," Sirius mocked, his smirk widening. Regan's frustration boiled over. She wanted to lash out at him and wipe of that smug grin off his face. But she knew he wouldn't tell anything. And even if he told, he'd lie. She had enough of his lies and didn't want anymore.So, she turned away reluctantly, her anger still burning in her veins. Before she could leave, Sirius spoke again. "I used magic for your wound, your clothes and your hair. That's all I did," he said, his voice softening. "I didn't do anything else, Regan."He knew he wasn't telling the whole thing, but if he told her where she slept....well, she'd believe that, because that was something she called terrible. And he knew she wasn't entirely wrong, it was indeed terrible, him falling asleep beside her. He thanked God that she didn't wake up when he was still there.Regan's teeth clenched at his words, but she forced herself to leave and not see him again. She didn't believe him a little anyway.As she walked through the hallways, she didn't know what to do anymore. She was worried of Iris, because it was her fault of her imprisonment.But she was also tired and drained of this endless cycle of captiveness and useless freedom. She didn't know if she wanted freedom anymore. All she wanted was to make Sirius pay and find her mother. Because her father....well, she didn't want to admit it, but she did believe Sirius when he told these things.She sought to turn back to her room, but ended up wandering around. She wanted to escape from here, but she knew it wasn't easy. Not after what she had done. He really had some right in imprisoning her that time.And she deserved it after all. Because no one told her to do rebellions or try do adventurous things and set other people in trouble. But she didn't do it only to piss Sirius off, she also did it because she wanted to give these people freedom. But it was a waste, he probably colonized that place again and had no remorse over it.As she walked, she heard some voices. It were females, she could hear. Regan followed the sound and it lead her to a small room, a laundry room. The door was open and as she stepped in, a loud bang snapped there, and then from behind the washing machine, a maid collapsed on the floor. Regan rushed to her, her heart racing. But before she could do anything, a brunette emerged from behind.Regan's eyes widened at the sight. It was Iris, holding a bat in her hand, her expression a mix of determination and fear.She couldn't make sense of it. Had Iris escaped the dungeon? But how? Sirius's dungeons were highly secured. And how did Iris make it till there without getting caught?"Iris! What are you doing here?" Regan exclaimed, her voice a mixture of relief and confusion.Iris's eyes widened in surprise as she saw Regan standing there, her expression mirroring the same confusion and relief. "Cornelia!" she said and ran over to Regan, dropping the bat as she embraced her friend tightly. "I thought I'd never see you again!"Regan hugged Iris back just as fiercely, feeling a surge of relief flood through her at the sight of her friend. "I thought the same about you," she admitted, her voice trembling with emotion.Regan pulled back slightly, her eyes searching Iris's face, "How did you escape? Are you alright?""I-I'm fine. As for escaping....general Igor helped me. And I've been running and hiding for hours and now this stupid maid was going to rat me out," Iris explained, her voice shaking slightly.Regan's eyebrows furrowed, "General Igor? Who's that?""It's-its the general from the south."Regan's eyes widened at Iris's response. General from the South? But he was their enemy, he had tried to kill them and he shot Raven. He was Sirius's minion. How could've he helped her?"Iris, what are you saying?" she asked incrediously, "he wanted to kill us all! He's Sirius's general!"Iris bit her lip, her expression restless. "I know, I know. But it's a long story. I'll tell you later, after we get the hell out of here!" she urged and took Regan's hand, dragging her out of the laundry room, leaving the maid unconscious.Regan was bewildered but quickly stopped in her tracks, "Iris, wait! We can't just escape like this, the castle is full of guards and I don't want you to get caught again.""But we have to escape," Iris retorted, her voice barely above a whisper. "There's no time to waste, Cornelia. Come!""You don't know the way!" Regan snapped, "you don't want to drag us to wolf's den, do you? Now, follow me."Regan led Iris to an opposite direction, so that they'd be as far as possible from Sirius's quarters. But the fact that it was day wasn't helping. The hallways weren't dark and Regan's heart was pounding crazily. She didn't know if she wanted to escape, but she had to get Iris out of here. But then she remembered, what about the others?"What about the others?""They've already escaped," Iris replied, "all in due to general Igor's help.""And why you're still here then?""Because I...I got caught in some trouble and I ended up here.""And they left you behind?" Regan asked, her tone already accusing."No, they didn't know," Iris replied quickly. "Now, let's not waste time. Where will we go?"Regan didn't know where they'd go. It was daytime and it was scary to wander around like that. She thought once to hide Iris in her room and wait until night fell, but that'd take time. So the last opinion was the garden."Garden."Iris nodded and followed Regan to the way. Regan didn't really remember where it was, she just knew it was on the first floor and remember the patterns of the doors. They cautiously made it to the first floor, the whole time holding their breath. As they reached the bottom, a guard appeared from nowhere and Iris hid behind the stairs. The guard saw Regan but didn't say anything to her and continued to do his job.After that, the girls began their mission once more. The hallways were tricky and deceiving, sometimes leading to dead ends. Regan's mind was swirling with worry. Sirius wasn't the only one that lived there, there lived the witches and if one of them saw them, the girls were doomed. She prayed they wouldn't appear."So where's the garden?" Iris whispered."It should be around here," Regan replied.However, as they rounded a corner, their hearts skipped a beat. There was Vesper, talking to a maid in a low voice."I want this done as soon as possible!" she hissed, "Do you understand?! That time, I want no problems.""Y-yes, my lady. I made sure of it. I sent the servant and we followed your instructions. B-but what if h-he finds out? He's g-going to kill us all," the maid stuttered."I don't give a fuck. If you collect yourself and stop acting suspiciously, no one is going to find out. Now, let's just wait until the scarface dies and we get rid of her once and forever."Regan's eyes widened slightly at Vesper's words. She was talking about her, about poisoning her. Regan couldn't believe shee had been staying all that time under the same roof as Vesper. She hated Vesper with every fiber of her being.Iris dragged her by the sleeve and pulled them behind a column as Vesper walked to the other side."Is that Sirius's girlfriend?" Iris asked innocently. "She's going to kill someone?!"Regan's face twisted into a scowl, not fathoming how Iris had the nerve to talk about that matter when they were in the position of being caught. She didn't answer at all, but dragged Iris to another turn.Finally, that turn wasn't a dead end for them. At the end of the hallway lay the doors to the garden. Regan hoped they were the same doors to the garden she had been before."Oh God," Iris whispered. "Are these the right doors?""I hope so," Regan whispered to herself.When the reached the doors, Regan pushed them open slowly, letting the sunlight creep inside the hallway. It revealed the garden she was as fond as she was infuriated of. Iris marveled at the sight, but they had no time for that.The guards were everywhere and they couldn't just pass the garden and make it to the gate."Damnit, now what?" Iris muttered."Maybe I distract them," Regan suggested, "and you can go forward, wait for me hidden somewhere near the gate. Or just somewhere with no guards.""And how will you find me?" Iris retorted, "This place is like a maze."Yes, it was indeed a maze. A maze of toxic red roses, red roses that made Regan's mind spin with hatred for Sirius and for his roses."Just wait near the end. I'll find you."Iris watched her for a moment and then reluctantly nodded. Regan stepped forward, her mind racing with a plan. The garden was quiet, with the guards staying on the sides, their expression rigid. She didn't know how to distract them. If she did some fire trick, it'd probably attract attention and if Sirius found out of that, he'd know Regan was involved.But she didn't have any better choice. Even if he found out, she wasn't going to reveal anything about Iris.So, Regan hid behind a column and called a spark of flame on her hands. She aimed to throw it far at some shrubs, where it'd surely create diversion.She didn't expect the flames to reach the bushes, but it didn't matter. As the spark flew through the air, it landed on the sleeve of a guard's uniform. Screams echoed through the garden as the guard flailed his arms, his screams drawing the attention of the other guards.Regan took the opportunity to tell Iris to move forward and Iris sprinted deep in the garden, losing from Regan's sight. Regan made sure that the guards weren't paying attention but then one of them yelled."We have an intruder! She's hiding somewhere in the garden!"Regan felt her heart race as she ducked behind a large shrub, her breath coming out in ragged gasps. She couldn't see Iris at all, but hoped she'd make it to the gate.The guards had their weapons drawn, scouring the garden for any sign of an intruder. The sun beat down on Regan as she tried to remain still, hidden behind the shrub. She could hear the guards shouting to each other, their voices growing more frantic with every passing moment."Hey, kitten," a voice whispered in her ear, making Regan jump. She turned her head, seeing that it was the bastard named Sirius.Great."What were you doing?" Sirius asked, his husky voice tinged with amusement, "Striking guards?""Yes," Regan snapped, her heart still racing from the close call. She couldn't believe he was here. But if she made it clear that there wasn't an intruder, maybe Iris would have it easier to escape."And why did you do that?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow. His voice was low and calm, but there was an undercurrent of danger to it."Because he....he wasn't letting me walk around," Regan said, trying to sound convincing. But she couldn't look at his eyes, because he was closer than she liked and she was embarrased."And why would you walk around?" Sirius asked, curiosity getting the better of him. "You've never liked my garden. Or....did you?"Regan stood up, trying to get as far away from Sirius as she could, but there was nowhere to go. The shrubs were close together, and the guards were still searching for Iris. She had to stall, buy time for Iris to escape."No, I don't like it. But I needed air, you know, to breathe," Regan said through gritted teeth. She was trying to keep her composure, but Sirius was standing so close to her, his presence unsettling.Sirius tilted his head, studying her for a moment. But then, he called out to the guards, telling them there was no intruder, and they could return to their posts. The guards looked confused, but then obeyed, returning to their positions.Regan felt a wave of relief wash over her. At last now they wouldn't search relentlessly for Iris. But she wanted to escape too. She couldn't bear Sirius anymore, she wanted to get as far as possible from him.So, she tried to go past him but he grabbed her arm, holding her in place, "Where do you think you're going, little kitten?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. Regan struggled against his grip, but it was no use."I'm not a little kitten," she hissed, trying to pull her arm free from his grip. "And I'm going inside."He didn't release her at all, and started to lead her deeper in the garden. Regan glanced around, searching for any trace of Iris, but she was nowhere. Now with him there, Regan wasn't going to have it easy to escape.But then, she thought something. What if she manipulated him? But he was cunning and smart as a fox. But what if he bought her act?He led her over to a secluded part of the garden, where there was a small wooden table set with food and drinks. The birds chirped on their melodic sound and the roses were less dense.Regan realized she was hungry, but she couldn't bring herself to accept she was on his mercy. And she couldn't bring herself either to manipulate him. But maybe she could stay silent and then ask him to let her out of the gate for a moment.But then what about Iris? Where was she? She had to find Iris first.Sirius eyed her suspiciously as she sat down on the chair. He hadn't expected her to comply so easily, but he wasn't going to believe she had suddenly become cooperative. He knew her too well for that.He sat down opposite her, his gaze never leaving hers. Regan tried to maintain a calm facade, but her mind was racing with fear and frustration. She was warily glancing around, trying not to be noticed by Sirius. But he of course was noticing it."Now eat," Sirius said, gesturing to the food on the table. Regan forced herself not to argue and started to eat. She was hungry, but she didn't want to make it seem like she was enjoying his food.He stared at her weirdly as if trying to figure out what she was thinking. Regan kept her gaze fixed on her plate, not daring to meet his eyes. She felt his scrutiny like a weight on her shoulders, suffocating her.So then he tried not to stare at her that much, at least try not make her more uncomfortable with his hawk-like gaze.