The Guard Captain of Pran, a man who had been silently dealing with numerous headaches as time ticked closer and closer to Druella's attack, was currently doing everything he could to not let his carefully cultivated mask break. He did this through liberal applications of putting his palm against his face, scratching at his cat's ears to calm himself down, and trying his damnedest to put on a false smile.

The reason behind his attempts at looking calm?

The fact that Cynthia had just told him she was planning to leave Pran.

Felix took in a deep breath to collect himself. He did what he could to keep his eyes off Cynthia. Not because of her outfit, which he had to admit did look good. But he wanted to avoid looking her in the eyes because he wasn't sure if he could keep himself from screaming at her yet. Something he wanted to avoid considering how important she was to their defense. And the fact that Mitchell, the guard he had sent to give Cynthia a message, was still in the room. He ran a pretty loose ship around here but the last thing he needed was to let one of his men see him panicking because of something like this.

So he took a few minutes to let Cynthia's words settle in his mind. Then he shook his head as he answered, "OK. OK. First question, how long have you been planning to do this?"

"The idea came to me the night after I returned," Cynthia said while placing both of her hands on her lap. She spoke in a calm, gentle tone, her voice barely reaching above a whisper, "That, rather than simply await Druella and let the calamity she would bring occur, I instead go to her."

"OK. Second question: Why the fuck would you do that? You do know who, or at least what, Druella is, right? Do you honestly think that she would back down just from you talking with her?" Felix pointed out.

"Actually, no, I do not know who Druella is. Not truly. I have not had the opportunity to speak with her in any real capacity. Everything I know of her comes from second-hand information. Though I will admit that sometimes that information can turn out to be accurate, I will not purport to know who Druella is until after have had a moment to speak with her. Face-to-face."

"And as for if she'll back down from you talking to her?"

Cynthia was silent for a moment. Then she spoke again, "I will admit, I am operating off the 'don't know unless you try' adage as far as that is concerned."

At Felix's clear disappointment at her answer, Cynthia continued, "I know how it sounds. And I will be the first to admit that it is unlikely to work. But I do not see what the harm in trying is. If I succeed, then Druella's attack will not come to pass. Pran will be safe. And we can all continue to live our lives in peace...for a time."

"And if you fail, you'll be trapped behind enemy lines and in the same room as a child of the Demon Lord herself. Someone who has shown a vested interest in trying to corrupt you. And the attack will still happen as if you hadn't left at all," Felix finishes Cynthia's point for her. At her nod of agreement, he shook his head and shrugged, "Then, what? Are you sure you should be going into this based on the idea that she'll possibly listen to you?"

"Indeed, I am," Cynthia said without a single hint of hesitation.

Felix blinks as he waits to hear her say she wasn't serious. When she doesn't he leans back in his chair and places a hand on his head. He turns his eye over to Mitchell, the guard that had been standing at attention in the hallway this whole time, "Hey, Mitchell?"

"Yes, sir!"

"You got any ale or something on ya?"

"Uh, no sure. My wife wants me off that stuff. Been going two years sober so far."

Felix grunted, "Fucking damn it. Just had to pick the one guy whose wife put him on the straight and narrow. She's getting evacuated with the rest of the civilians, right?"

"Yes, sir. Along with my little girl and our dog, sir," Mitchell's tone remained professional, but Cynthia could sense the pride behind his words.

Cynthia leaned forward in her seat as she asked Felix, "There is going to be an evacuation?"

"Of course there is. Though this may come as a shock to you, no one else here is immune to monsterization," Felix waved his hand through the air, "Keeping civilians around when the Mamono are on the way is asking to get your city taken down from the inside."

"Hmm, what exactly are your plans to defend Pran?"

"As of now? First, we're getting rid of any single male and any female in our forces at Teresa's suggestion. Turns out those Mamono have a severe allergy to transforming a married man. Doesn't matter how much they want a guy, they won't touch him if he's already hitched to someone else. Something instilled in them by that damn Demon Lord."

Cynthia's eyes opened in surprise, "That's...unexpected. That the Mamono would hold marriage as so sacred, that they would completely avoid corrupting those who are married. I am...unsure how to feel about it. "

Felix shrugged, "If it's something we can use against those monsters, I ain't gonna complain. And it's not that airtight. They don't go after married men married women are free game. So are their children if they have any."

Cynthia's eyes narrowed at the information, "Hmm, what a strange exception they choose to make. Why would they make exceptions for the men but not the women? Wouldn't losing their wife to monsterization be just as traumatizing for the husband, as losing her husband to another woman would be for the wife?"

"Ya got me. Maybe it's against their religion or something," Felix rubbed at his nose as he narrowed his eyes at Cynthia, "Had some other plans, but the issue now is that I've gotta change them all up. Cause most of them heavily involved you. So, mind telling me why you didn't tell me this before your last day with your family rolled around?"

Cynthia bite her lip in shame. She bowed her head to the Guard Captain, tone turning sorrowful as she spoke, "I...I must apologize for that. I...I did mean to inform you but...things happened."

"What?" Felix chuckles, "You? Ms. "I took on a small army of Mamono and won" got distracted? By what?"

Rather than answer, Cynthia simply reached into one of her skirt pockets. From within she pulled out the wooden knight she had been using to play with Gloria. Felix was rendered speechless as she placed the item in her lap for him to see. Then he blinked and held up a hand, "Point taken. I apologize. But, seriously? Did you not have the slightest inclination to at least send me a message?"

Cynthia shook her head, "I did not. And, again, I apologize. It's just...this was the first time I've felt...calm. Happy. At peace. It's something I haven't experienced in a long, long time. I suppose I...I just wanted it to last a little longer. I knew I had to leave eventually. But, for some reason, I focused entirely on my children and going to Lescatie."

Cynthia sighs then bows her head once more, "But these are merely words and excuses. I likely have caused you much distress by doing this."

"Stop. Don't do that. That whole blaming yourself thing," Felix interrupted the Huntress. He sat up in his seat and rubbed at his beard, "Look. I am upset that you didn't tell me. But, I'm not gonna hold it against you if you were just taking care of your kids. I'm not that heartless."

Cynthia smiled at the Guard Captain. She stood from her seat, then bent low to replicate the church bow she had learned from Alfred, "Thank you for understanding, Felix. I am in your debt."

"Hey, don't think you're getting off completely free here. I'm still expecting something in return for letting this slide."

Cynthia straightens herself as she responds, "I will not judge you for that. Tell me what you need of me. I will do what I can to accomplish it."

Felix grinned before pointing a finger at Cynthia, "While you're in Lescatie, you mind doing some sabotage work? Any advantage we can deny them makes our job much easier."

Cynthia frowned at Felix's request. She took a moment to think about what he was asking of her. Her hands opened and closed as she thought about what she should say. When she answered, she did so with trepidation in her voice, "I...I will see how things develop. And decide based on that."

Felix frowned but shrugged, "Best I could hope for."

"I apologize."

"Don't. I get it. Wouldn't exactly help negotiations if they caught you destroying their stuff. But, if you think negotiations are gonna fail, then...just keep it in mind."

"Understood," Cynthia sat back down and leaned back in her chair.

"Changing topic, how are the kids anyway?" Felix's frown lessens as he speaks, "Parenting all it's cracked up to be?"

Cynthia's mood seemed to vastly improve when the subject turned to her children. A smile never left her face as she spoke, "Oh, they are both wonderful. Horace showed me how strong he's gotten, and told me about how Nick's been teaching him how to defend himself. And he's always there to play with Gloria when she asks. And Gloria, well, I've noticed that she usually only stays around me, Horace, Marcus, or Matilda. She doesn't seem to really like people other than us."

Felix raised an eyebrow, "That doesn't sound good. How'd you end up with them again?"

"I purchased them from an old woman in the slums. Though that was a trap set up by the Vipers. It's what led to my murder of their people and, subsequently, your arresting me for murdering them."

"Ah. Then those were probably part of the Vipers for a bit. Don't know exactly what happened to them, but couldn't have been pleasant. Surprised either of them are even able to sleep at night."

"They usually sleep together or with me. It helps."

"That's good. I'll be sure to post some guys up here while you're gone. Does anyone else know you're leaving?"

Cynthia raised a gloved hand and started to count off, "Nick and Maggie Mercer and Tina and Felix."

"But I'm right here."

"No, the other Felix."

"Oh, right. Continue."

The Huntress let her hand fall, "That's it. They were all surprised but assured me they'd be fine. We plan to say goodbye once the sun rises."

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Felix turned around to look out the window behind him. When he saw the waxing moonlight coming through the curtains, he whistled while getting up, "Woo! I didn't think it was that late. Need to get going. Preparations don't make themselves. Be careful out there, Cynthia. And if things do go south, give that fucking Lilim a black eye for me."

"Fare thee well, Guard Captain. Hopefully, the next time we meet will be during a time of relative peace," Cynthia waved goodbye to the Guard Captain. Felix returned the wave, Mitchel saluting Cynthia before following his Captain to the door. The two left with nary another word.

Selina remained in the living room, a sigh escaping her lips. She laid back in her seat while keeping her eyes on the threshold that led outside. This would usually be the part where she went upstairs, tucked the children into bed, then went to sleep. But her home was still missing two people. And someone had to be awake to greet them. Idly, she grabbed the figure she had placed on the table in front of her. She brought the knight up to her face to better examine it. Her hands ran over the wooden body of the knight, fingers playing with his raised sword and the holes in his helm.

Briefly looking around to ensure no one else was around, Selina placed the knight back on the table and leaned forward. She began to move him back and forth, making fake clanging noises with her mouth while moving his sword with her fingers. Back and forward she led the knight as a noble quest for him began to form in her mind. How he was on his way to fight a great-

The sound of the door opening made Selina jump. She fumbled with the figure, just barely managing to put it back into her skirt pocket before anyone saw her. She stood up from her seat, patted her hair down, then turned to greet the two dolls that had come through the door. Eve and Matilda walked side by side, both stopping to regard the Huntress as they passed the living room.

"Eve, Matilda," Selina spoke with a neutral tone to her voice.

"We have returned, Good Hunter," Eve and Matilda said in unison.

Selina focused on Eve, "How was your trip outside?"

"It was pleasant. This world is certainly quieter than Yharnam was. And It was enjoyable to see so many people in one place," Eve said with her usual gentle tone.

Matilda gave Eve's left leg a gentle shove, "It's certainly better than simply staying in one place all day long, isn't it?" Matilda chuckled but upon seeing the Huntress' questioning gaze, stifled her laughs. She then waved a hand in the Huntress' direction, "Don't worry, Good Hunter. No one gave us any trouble. Most people didn't even realize we existed. They just walked right passed us."

Selina's shoulder fell as some of the invisible tension left her. She walked closer to the two dolls, stopping when she was right in front of them. Then she looked between the two, "Then, could the two of you head upstairs and wait for me? I need to put the children to bed."

"Hold if you would, Good Hunter," Eve raised her hand to get the Huntress' attention. When she had it, she turned her gaze down toward Matilda, "My Little Assistant has something she wishes to ask of you."

Selina turned her attention to the smaller doll. Matilda's expression was determined but Selina could see her hands trembling as they gripped her dress. After taking a moment to calm her nerves, Matilda spoke to the Huntress, "I would like to accompany you on your journey to Lescatie."

Selina didn't answer Matilda at first. The two locked eyes as Matilda awaited the Huntress' answer, and the Huntress thought about how she should respond to the request. Then Selina turned to Eve, "Eve, could you head upstairs and check on the children, please?"

Eve bowed to the Huntress, "As you wish, Good Hunter."

Then she slowly walked her way up the stairs to the second floor. When she was gone, Selina bade Matilda follow her into the living room. The Assistant did as asked, following Selina to one of the empty chairs. Selina sat down and then patted her lap with one hand. Matilda took the offer, climbing into Selina's lap with her hands. She straightened her dress out and then looked up into Selina's eyes.

Selina got straight to the point, "Why do you want to come with me?"

"Because you will need me," Matilda said easily. She matched the Huntress' gaze as she spoke, "You haven't been to Lescatie before, and your experience with Mamono is rather lacking. Meanwhile, I can still remember everything that I experienced while within that nation. I have extensive knowledge of numerous Mamono, their habits, their strengths, and their weaknesses. Along with knowledge of the culture and customs within the newly made Demon Realm. I would be of great use to-"

"That is not what I asked," Selina interrupted. She waited for Matilda to close her mouth before she spoke again, "I asked...why do you want to come with me? What is it that you hope to accomplish by following me?"

Matilda doesn't answer at first. Her gaze falls to her dress, hands gripping the edges as she thinks about Selina's question. When no answer is forthcoming, the Huntress continues, "You must understand what will likely happen on my journey, yes? I will face more Mamono. Mamono that are more aggressive than those I have faced till now. Ones that, unfortunately, I likely will not be able to avoid confrontation with. Which will lead to bloodshed and death. And yet more will come should my negotiations with Druella fail."

Selina leaned forward while watching for Matilda's reaction, "If you follow me, then you will not be able to escape that. You will have to watch as other Mamono fall by my hand and attempt to corrupt not just me, but you as well. Do you believe you could do that? Do you believe you could handle being surrounded by the very real possibility of death at all times?"

Matilda kept her eyes on her dress, her voice quiet and small as she finally answered, "N-N-No."

Selina slowly nodded, "I see. That is fine. There is no shame in not wishing to-"

"But," this time, Matilda interrupted Selina. The Huntress' eyebrow rose, surprised at Matilda's actions. Matilda took a moment to let out a stress-filled sigh. Then she turned her head up and met the Huntress' gaze once more, "there's something I need to do. Something important. And it can only be done in Lescatie."

"And what, exactly, do you wish to do?"

Matilda placed one of her hands over her chest. She closed her eyes as the moment she was "created" began to replay itself in her mind. She spoke as the warm feeling of the "Love" within Eve pulsed within her, "This love. This incredible feeling that made the impossible happen. It's something that all Mamono wish to experience in their lives. This feeling is why they seek out husbands. It is the same type of love that the Demon Lord and her husband share every night they make love."

Her expression fell as she opened her eyes, "But, I can tell that no other Mamono knows this feeling. Because this love is one given freely. Neither you nor Eve harbors any true expectations of one another. You both simply love each other. It is different from the love the Mamono seek. One that they all believe can only be gained through having sex with a man and feeling his Spirit Energy enter your womb. One that can only come about through the union of man and Mamono. Many believe there is no other way to feel something like this. Yet-"

"Yet here you are," Selina said, beginning to see where Matilda was going.

Matilda nodded, "Yes. And I don't want to horde this to myself. I want to share it. Show other Mamono that there is another way. That a powerful, unbreakable love can exist without the need for sex or rape. That I am living proof it is possible. And that it is just as strong as the love a Mamono and her husband have for each other."

"And that is why I ask you to take me with you," Matilda's eyes narrowed as determination filled her. She placed her hands together and bowed her head in prayer, "Please, Good Hunter. I beg of thee. Allow this humble Assistant to accompany you."

Selina was silent.

As was Matilda.

Neither spoke for what felt like hours. Selina quietly considered Matilda's words, while Matilda awaited Selina's answer.

Finally, with tension in her shoulders, Selina spoke, "You are entirely certain of this? Once we leave Pran, there will be no turning back for a long time."

"I am sure," Matilda said without hesitation.

Selina went silent for a minute. Then she placed a hand on Matilda's head, "Then my answer is yes. I hope that I may help you accomplish your goals alongside my own, Matilda."

Matilda lifted her head, smiling brightly as she responds to Selina, "Good Hunter, I should be the one saying that to you."

----------------------------------------

"Good Hunter, I must ask for your assistance."

Selina, Matilda at her side, turned to see Eve standing right outside Horace and Gloria's room. She walks toward Eve with a confused expression, "Eve? What's wrong?"

"It is Gloria. She refuses to sleep. I am...not sure how to soothe her the way I do you," Eve actually sounded upset at admitting to that.

Selina reached out and hugged Eve. She patted the Doll on the back as she spoke, "It's fine, Eve. Here, let me see what's wrong."

Selina moved towards the door, gently pulling it open while peering inside. Inside the dark room, Gloria was sitting upright on the bed. Her brother was sleeping beside her, his chest rising and falling in a gentle rhythm. In Gloria's lap sat the wooden knight figure she had been playing with earlier.

Being as quiet as possible, Selina slowly stepped into the room and moved to the side of Gloria's bed. She knelt and placed a gentle hand on Gloria's leg. She spoke softly to the girl, "Gloria. It's time for bed. You should lay down."

Gloria didn't respond.

Selina patted the girl's leg, "Eve told me you wouldn't go to sleep. Is something wrong? I'm here if you need to talk."

"...mmph," Gloria mumbled under her breath.

Selina tilted her head, "What was that?"

Gloria was silent for a few moments. Then she turned away from the Huntress, "Don't want to go to sleep."

Selina frowned, "Now, Gloria, it's not good for a growing girl to not get her rest. Sleeping is important for-"

"No!" Gloria suddenly yelled. She hit the mattress beneath her, defiance in her tone, "I won't go to sleep! I'll stay up the whole night!"

Selina's frown deeper. She moved her hand up until it was on Gloria's shoulder, "Why are you acting this way? Did you have a bad dream?"

Gloria shook her head. She turned to look at Selina, letting the Huntress see the tell-tale signs of crying. Her eyes were puffy and red, and wet lines ran down her cheeks. Gloria's hands trembled as she spoke, "If...If I go to sleep then...then you won't be there when I wake up."

Selina's heart ached at Gloria's explanation. She squeezed the girl's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, "Y-Yes. But I already explained that this is something I have to do."

"But-But-But I don't want you to go," gasps and sobs started to leave Gloria's mouth as her tears came back in full force. She placed a hand over her eyes to stop them from staining the sheets.

Seeing her daughter cry only made Selina feel worse. She bit her lip, trying to think of what to say. But there wasn't much she could say. She had already promised to come back earlier that day. What else could she say to soothe her daughter's ills?

She didn't know.

But she did know what she could do to help.

She reached over and gently pulled Gloria's arm away from her eyes. Then she picked the girl up under her arms and brought her close to her chest. She turned around so her back was against the bed, leaning backward and letting Gloria rest against her body. She stared down at her daughter with a small, kind smile, "Shh. It's alright, Gloria. It's alright."

Gloria's only response was to sniffle against Selina's dress. Her hands gripped her mother's dress and refused to let go.

The two remained like that for an unknown amount of time. A mother waiting for her daughter to fall to sleep in her lap. Gloria did her best to force herself to remain awake.

But in the Huntress' warm embrace, such a thing was impossible for her.

Eventually, her eyes got heavy and closed. It didn't take long for her to begin slumbering in Selina's embrace. Once she was, Selina stood up and placed the girl next to her brother in the bed. She gently pulled Gloria's hands off her dress, leaning over and kissing both her and Horace on their foreheads.

"I'll be back as soon as I am able. I swear it," she whispered to the two of them. Then she stood up straight and walked out of the room. Slowly closing the door behind her, Selina closed her eyes and sighed.

It was time.

She stood straighter, brows furrowing as she prepared herself for what came next. When she next opened her eyes, she saw Eve and Matilda standing in front of her. She turned towards her room and waved for both to follow her. They did so without complaint.

She entered her room with nary a word. The room hadn't changed since Selina had first purchased this manor. The same bed sat with its sheets made up and ready for someone to sleep under them. The closet door was closed and the desk lay empty.

But there was something different.

One single, insignificant change that, nonetheless, managed to take up all of Selina's attention the moment she entered the room.

The clothes that lay on the edge of her bed.

The clothes of the late Lady Maria. And next to them two rolls of white, cloth binding.

The garb Selina had taken to wearing ever since she slew the Old Hunter.

Selina looked over her shoulder at Eve, a silent question in her gaze. Eve nodded, "I took the liberty of readying your garments for you, Good Hunter. I hope you do not mind."

"Not at all. Thank you, Eve," Selina's voice was monotone and devoid of mirth. She marched towards the garbs without another word. Eve and Matilda followed. When she stood in front of her Hunter garments, she started to undo her corset's lace. At the same time, Eve began to undo her skirt while taking the time to remove any items within its pockets. Matilda did the same with her shoes and socks.

Before long, Selina stood completely nude in front of her bed. Eve and Matilda gathered up her discarded dress while she took up her Hunter's garb.

She took up the binding and began wrapping it around her chest. She didn't notice how her breasts literally disappeared beneath the binding. Nor how she hardly felt any pain as she tied the bindings in place. Only when the last of the two rolls was in place did she move on to the next step.

She took up her gloves, rolling them up her scar-covered arms.

She put on her shirt and coat, the various circular scars across her torso going unnoticed.

She put on her bandanna, her split lip covered by the black mask.

By the time she was done, the only visible parts of her body were her eyes, nose, and the upper part of her face.

She finished by placing her tricorn hat over her short red hair.

She straightened her back and looked up at the dark ceiling.

"Once more, I don the vestments of a Hunter. Once more, I shall walk forth and bring death to those deserving. Once more, I shall steep myself in blood so that others may not."

She looked down at her gloved hands. She frowned and curled them into tight fists.

"And, one day...one day I will be able to put this behind me. And the Hunter shall Hunt no more."