Even Stone Hearts Break

"You're an embarrassment!" the deep voice bellowed, echoing throughout the Manor.   "What did I do to deserve a disgrace like you?"  The tall figure loomed over her, blue eyes hardening into something sinister as he glared down at the crouched form at his feet.

"I'm sorry, Father. I'll try harder next time, I promise." she whispered, words lifting as she gathered up the pieces of the shattered teapot. "It was an accident ."

"We should have let you die." he hissed, leaning forward to grab her chin, forcing her to look at him. "I wish you died, I prayed for it; I still do."  Shoving her face away, he grabbed his glass and threw it on the floor.  The glass exploded, sending shards flying. 

The man turned on his heel, leaving the room as he called over his shoulder. "Clean up this mess."  Once he was gone, she let out a shuddering breath and buried her face in her hands, trying to contain her emotions.

She knew he felt all the things he'd said but this was the first time he'd spoken them out loud to her.  She could easily kill him, easily stand up to him, but he'd trained her well. Ever the obedient, loving daughter. She'd never raise her voice to him in opposition.

It took her twenty minutes but the slivers were cleaned up and the room looked perfect again.  She hurried to her room as her emotions threatened to bubble up and over, locking herself inside before readying herself.

After visiting him so often, it was becoming much easier to find him, to enter his world. She hit the snow running and she didn't stop, save for the few times she slipped and fell. Reaching his side, she fell to the ground and buried her face in his fur, fingers gripping the soft strands lightly as she began to cry.

After what felt like hours of crying, she finally calmed down, leaving her head to rest on the wolf's body. She was exhausted. Surely a short nap wouldn't hurt anyone. Curling into the canine, she let her eyes close and slowly drifted off to sleep.

Two hours later, she woke and placed a kiss to Wolf's muzzle, smoothing his fur once more before she was gone.