*STOCKEM*
"Oh dear Sabrina." Sabrina looked up from the ground when her door opened and her sisters stepped in. She rolled her eyes, taking her gaze to the window.
"Oh my god, she looks so sad." Zara said with fake sympathy.
"Sabrina, you have no idea how much we missed you." Annika spoke, coming to stand before her bed. "Tell me, what was the wedding with the prince like? Was it how you dream?" She asked, faking an innocent smile. "Or where you were kicked out?"
"Just leave." Sabrina pointed her hand to the door, heaving out an exasperated sigh.
"Leave? But we just came here." Zara said, pouting her lips. 
"I'm not in for this, just leave!" She yelled unexpectedly.
"Ooh, I forgot you're a tigress." Annika said and burst out laughing, Zara joining her immediately. "Oh poor Sabrina, just see the look on your face. It must've been so hard. So hard realising your plan failed woefully, you failed." 
Zara scoffed before speaking. "You left here with so much pride, but look at you now? No words? Nothing at all to say?" Sabrina didn't reply but kept her gaze on the window. "Look who's a disgrace now? Just look at you."
"Anyway." Annika clasped her hands together in fake enthusiasm. "I'm sure some men at the village might be happy you're back, remember? You're the kingdom's favourite slut."
Sabrina breathed heavily, already fuming in anger. She was about to say something when the door flung open and her father stepped in. "I'd like to speak to Sabrina alone."
"Oh father, we were just leaving." Zara said, standing up from the bed. "See you later, little sis." She waved at Sabrina with a fake smile on her face, exiting the room alongside Annika.
"Sabrina." Philip called in a deep voice. "Thank you so much for ruining my reputation, dragging my name into the mud. It was my mistake, letting you leave though. My mistake is not realising sooner what sort of an unmannerly child you are. Really, allying with Elliot to take over Cordenia? What the hell were you thinking?" Sabrina couldn't say a word, she just hung her head low.
"I'm so disappointed in you, you are the worst. I'm sure your sisters would definitely be better than you." He spat out angrily before adding. "I regret sending you there Sabrina, I regret ever birthing you."
*
*
"Mother." She whispered again, though her voice was quite louder this time. Not considering her makeup anymore, she let the tears fall freely from her eyes and ran towards her, throwing her body on hers in a hug. Sobs after sobs escaped her throat and she didn't care if anyone was watching her. She couldn't contain her emotions, not even if she tried one bit. She cried against her shoulders and wrapped her arms around her.
"Easy gem, easy." She only cried harder as she rubbed her back, planting kisses on her hair. 
"You're alive." She sobbed harder, holding her tight, afraid to let go.
"People are watching gem."
"I don't care, I don't care." She shook her head, crying heavily. 
"You don't want to spoil your day, do you?" She held her shoulders, gently pushing her away from her, so she could look at her. "Eleanor." She could see her eyes glistening with tears, she was trying to keep it at bay.
"I've missed you, it's so hard without it. I don't- I can't.." 
"Shush." She placed her finger on her lips, stopping her from speaking. Then gently moved her hands to clean off the tears from her face, careful not to ruin her makeup, though it was quite messy already. "It's your day and a lot of people are watching. Remember you'll be Queen soon. Come on, we'll do this later okay?"
She sniffed and nodded vigorously, though she didn't want to leave her. She wanted to hold her forever. "Come on, go." When she didn't move, Kyla, Her mother held her hands and walked with her back to the podium and patted her shoulders, watching as she climbed up the podium. 
The ceremony began like normal again, everyone probably pretending nothing actually happened. 
Though, Eleanor could hardly keep her eyes off her. Who would've told her, her mother she thought was dead has been alive all these while and was a survivor of the attack, and she lived this few months not as a slave. Eleanor tried countless times to stop the tears  that threatened to fill her eyes. Thankfully, Luciano was there for her, squeezing her hands in a comforting manner. He helped her from bursting into another round of tears again.
"Hey, you okay?" Gwen asked her as they stood together, beside a table, later in the evening when the main ceremony was over. !
"Yeah." She nodded reassuringly, glancing at her mother who was speaking with some group of people in the hall. 
"I know that was a big shock. I can't imagine how happy you are right now."
"You have no idea Gwen. I never thought I'd see her." Her voice came out quite shaky and took in a deep breath, trying to stay calm.
"She's coming over, I'll give you two some time alone." Gwen patted her shoulder and left, before Kyla got to them.
"Gem." Her mother smiled as she called her the old pet name she had almost forgotten about. Unable to hold herself again, she hugged her immediately.
"I missed you too darling." Her mother whispered against her ears, stroking her hair. "How've you been?"
"Well, a lot has happened but I'm fine. Yeah." Eleanor replied, nodding gently.
"Yeah, I heard what happened. But I felt so helpless I couldn't do anything."
"No, it's fine. We survived."
"You had no idea how I thought about you, I didn't know if you were alive or not, I thought I lost you. Most times I prayed you weren't among the people killed, I prayed you were in Cordenia, alive." Her hands rose to her cheeks, rubbing it gently. "I'm sorry, I couldn't come on time."
"Mother it's fine, that's all in the past. What matters is you're alive and I'm okay with that. I'm fine. I can't wish for more." A drop of tears slipped from her eyes as she said those words. 
"I am too, gem. You have no idea how I longed to see you, but I was so sick and when Nalia told me about you, trust me, that good news healed me. She had no idea why I was interested in you, but I convinced her to come with me to Cordenia. Because I wanted to see, I wanted to see my little jem again, and I can't wish for more, I can't, Elly." For the first time since she came, Eleanor saw her cry, tears streamed down her face. Eleanor engulfed her in a hug and they stayed like that for a few minutes. 
"I love you okay."
"I love you too, mother." Eleanor whispered against her shoulders.
"Okay, hey." Kyla pulled from the hug and held her shoulders, staring intently at her. "This day will never happen again, so, let's make the most of it." She completed the sentence with a smile and helped clean off the single drop of tears from her face and held her wrist, pulling her into the crowd.