[ no....

no this was not what she intended. not to bring more pain or stuttering. Nero felt, in this moment, absent of words. it was a time of action, and action she would take.

by wrapping her small arms tightly around Hakuno's. a strong embrace, despite her stature, that squeezes tight around each shoulder. to steady and to secure, even when she had to rise on tip-toes to match the mourner's height. there is quiet. broken only by Hakuno's deep breathing, fraught struggles to secure her heartbeat.

had her word not been enough? had she let doubt creep into her pronouncements, no matter how hard she had kept them out? Nero had not lied, not told a single falsehood. even if, cruelly, against the workings of the Throne, she could recall her last Master....she could not let this heartache exist, and not try to rectify it.

not when Nero herself was at the root of it. ]

...I understand you are hesitant, and need to take your time.

Whenever you are ready, you may come and speak to me. Even if it is to tell me no -

[ and the smile has dimmed. but it has not disappeared. ]

- though please, shed no more tears. It does not suit your face, to cover kindness with deep sorrow.