Florina had been told that she would be assigned an assistant, and that she would be meeting her that day. She wondered what sort of a person her assistant would be. She assumed her assistant would be another woman for the sake of propriety, but her imagination failed her beyond that.

She was looking over some papers on her desk when a knock came at her door, “You may enter,” she called out, finding it strange not to have her maid constantly shadowing her that day. She’d have to find some task for Sophie to do.

She stood from her chair as the door opened, and started to smile in greeting before it hit her. A sensation of jagged nails scraping up her spine, much like the sensation she got when she had felt something coming from Count Everly’s ring. Familiar, but different. Her eyes landing on the woman’s neck, the source of the ugly magic. Whether she could see the collar or not, Florina would suspect exactly what was around Sina’s neck, but would not say anything about it just yet. Instead, she tried to pull her eyes away from her neck and toward the girl’s eyes and forced a small smile, “Pleased to meet you, Miss Navaro,” Florina said with a small smile that grew a little bigger at the sight of the gift, “How lovely!” she took the basket and politely gave the contents a peek before setting the basket to one side of her desk, “A very good assortment.”

She gestured to a chair, “Do sit down, Miss Navaro,” Florina would take a seat herself, “Perhaps we should start our day by getting to know each other a little,” her eyes darted to Miss Navaro’s neck again, “Have you worked in the palace before?”

A part of Sina wondered how much Florina knew about why she had been assigned to be an assistant, all that going through her head was that she had to prove to Prince Augustus that she could be of use to the nation. Sina knows at the moment she can't focus on it too much because if she focuses on the past too much then she will have no space to grow.

However, she did notice that Florina looking at the collar on the neck, as it was possible the main reason if not, one of the reasons she asked to have this job was because she was a collar and she was to be an example of how it was useful to wear it. Smiling warmly as she sat down in the chair opposite Florina she seemed nice, she wanted to get to know her, so she took a soft breath. "I have never worked in the palace before, I worked in the library since I was sixteen.

“A library?” Florina said neutrally, “My, that must be quite a change then. May I ask what made you seek employment here?”

Oh okay Florina didn't know. "Truthfully, Prince Augustus asked me to be your assistant to try and prove that collars are a good thing. That people in collars change. His highness explained if I do a good job at this then I can get the collar removed." Sina explained , she was ashamed of it.

She frowned, her eyes going to the collar on the girl’s neck. So that was her uncle’s doing? Interesting. So her aunt’s husband was trying to do some public relations in regards to binding someone’s magic?

“My uncle truly thinks that people—the gifted—will think those are a good thing?” she didn’t have to feel how ugly that magic was to be disgusted, “Forgive me, Miss Navarro, but I do believe that is a challenge too big even for him,” she shook her head with a sigh, “If I may ask, why are you being punished with that dreadful thing?”

too big of a challenge, Sina takes a deep breath, not something she would like to hear. she wanted to try, she want to serve her kingdom/ When Florina asked about why she was being punished. "I... had relations with a man who asked me to demistrate my gift on him because he wanted to understand my gift and how I just couldn't use my gift to define myself with my gift. I explained to him that I can't change how people feel and that it will be complicated. However, he said he will be fine and he just want to have a better understanding." Sina looked awayit was painful for her to talk about.

"Howevre, after that happened he kissed me and things lead to one thing to another. He reported me saying i used my gift to..." Sina take a soft breath, "I wouldn't hurt a fly. I trusted too easily I put my heart on my sleeve to a man who couldn't love me back." Sina tries to keep her eyes fromcrying.

Florina listened to Miss Navarro speak about the reason for the collar, and something just didn’t make sense to her, “So your gift,” she started, speaking slowly as she thought over the other woman’s words, “Is to…sway emotions this way and that, correct?” She would wait for her to respond before continuing, “And the way you swayed this man’s emotions caused him to kiss you and lead to,” she paused, “lay with you?” She would again wait for Miss Navarro to answer before continuing, “I must ask, Miss Navarro, and forgive me if I am blunt, why are you surprised that he is cross with you when it seems that you influenced his emotions to go in a direction that would not otherwise be natural for him?” It seemed foolish to Florina that the girl would complain about falsely entrusting her heart to someone when she did the magical equivalent of getting the man drunk. Perhaps it was not the intention, but Florina had had her own experience with her emotions being manipulated at the end of summer ball, and it still haunted her.

Dina takes a deep breath. "I am not upset that he did countess. I feel guilty," She explained . "My gift doesn't control emotion, it enhance physical abilities, like strength, dexterity and speed." With every passing questions she tried hard to fight back tears. "I am sorry." It is a heart felt apology, that night hunts her every single night. "I blame myself every single day thinking about it I looked up to him and thinking that I hurt my dearest friend is killing me."

Sina tries to keep calm and compossed. "If you allow I hope that I show that I will all that i can do to help you get to where you want to go" there was a softness in Sina, s voice, she want to show that she changed. She doesn't want to be pushed aside

Florina tried to put the pieces together as Miss Navarro clarified what her gift actually did. That was vastly different than what she’d picked up before. A misunderstanding of sorts, she supposed, but how did one end up making love when her gift enhanced physical abilities? She opened her mouth to ask just that, but an image of a man’s anatomy appeared in her head, and Florina told herself that perhaps she did not need to know.

“Forgive me, Miss Navarro, it seems I misunderstood you,” she wished she had some tea to offer. It was usually what she’d offer if she had a guest that had taken upset. There was something about a warm beverage that soothed hurts, “I am only trying to understand I am sure that you will be of great use to me, and I do not wish to be blind sighted by any rumors that might befall us.”

Taking a second to focus on her breathing closing her eyes, she was so used to closing her eyes when strong emotions come about that even with a collar on. "It is okay Lady Bellerose, when I am nervous or emotional words they fail me." Sina was grateful that she would still allowed a chance. "It is understandable, hopefully they won't be much in the way of rumors as far as I am aware not a lot of people know about the event and if they do and ask, we figure something out and I support your with what ever route you want to take."

She still seemed upset, but Florina was not in possession of her usual methods of soothing, so she let Sina deal with her emotions herself. Sometimes that was the best thing anyways, “Indeed, the only way to deal with rumors is to move on from them the best we can,” she said, and would wait for Sina to calm down a little more before continuing.

“Do you have any questions for me?”

Best way to move on, she is trying however, she doesn't know how to. however, she nods as she takes a deep breath. However, when she asked if she had any questions, she thought for a moment about any questions that she might have. Sina knows that she needs to think of the right question to ask, to show that she has to prove to herself that she wants to improve herself, cause Augustus is possibly going to ask Florina a question about how she is doing. So using help is possibly the best question. However, she possibly meant to ask questions to get to know her. However, she worried that she would cross the line. however, if there was to be trust within them both, she need to be able to know at least the bare minimus with each other.

However she worried about getting to know anyone. worried about trusting anybody.

"Is there any advice in working within court?" She asked softly.