In the morning, Warren was awoken by the sound of guards opening the doors. He knew that they had either come to watch him suffer or they were bringing in someone else to his hellhole.
Warren rolled onto his side to face the direction from which he had heard the sounds.
The guards were unusually quiet, and the only time they had been was when Tyrion visited.
"You’ve come back," Warren said, ready to plead for death.
Warren hoped that this visit would be the one where Tyrion would finally kill him to put him out of his misery.
"Are you going to do this silent game again?" Warren asked, frustrated with the childish games. "I am tired of this. If you come here to speak, then you should do so."
"The way you speak to a prince shows how you were raised," came Penelope’s voice.
Warren froze, surprised Penelope was the one coming to see him.
Warren tried to think of why she would be the one to visit him and soon remembered what he shared.
"Have you come to ask about Victor? I need to thank you for being part of the reason he gave me money. He thought you were a lady most suited for a brothel," Warren said, wishing he could see her face.
Warren’s only regret was not getting Penelope to work for Victor.
A guard offered Penelope a chair to sit on, but she refused it.
"I didn’t come to ask about Victor. I came to speak about you. You carry so much hate in your heart when you don’t have any right to be upset with my family. Your mother made her bed and now she lies in it. Or, is it that you want riches?" Penelope asked, certain it was the latter.
"Why would my mother or father need to care for you? Do you not have an able father?" Penelope asked, her anger growing by the second.
"My mother cannot walk-"
"Because she jumped from a window. Whenever you speak of what happened to your mother, speak of what she did and do not try to find a way to include my family," said Penelope.
"My mother ended up in that state because your father killed the baron. Edgar got the woman he wanted. Why couldn’t he have just left?"
Penelope laughed at Warren’s lack of sense. "Because our grandfather sounded to be a greedy man who wouldn’t have known when to stop. If my father hadn’t killed the old baron, then you wouldn’t exist. Or do you believe your parents would have found each other?"
With how Kate was described, Penelope didn’t think she would have an interest in the man she married now.
"Perhaps I should give you a flicker of hope that your parents would be together, but you know your mother better than I do. We must understand each other, dear cousin. The baron, baroness, and everyone who hurt my mother deserved to die," Penelope said, standing with her father’s decision.
"You and your siblings like to place yourself as the only ones who want your mother’s enemies to die," said Warren. It was unfair how Penelope acted.
"If my mother harmed others, then I would understand why you bore such hatred toward her. I know the tales of what my mother endured when she lived with the Barretts. Why is it so wrong that she got a happy ending?" Penelope asked, tired of everyone forgetting the true story.
Warren didn’t respond.
"Of course, you wouldn’t have an answer. I wouldn’t think little of you if you were doing this because you cared for your mother-"
"I care for my mother," Warren spoke over Penelope.
"No, you care for yourself. You are angry that you don’t get to enjoy the life your mother once had and what I have, but I am not at fault for it. I cannot help who my parents are and what wealth they have. You should love your mother," Penelope advised Warren.
If Warren had focused solely on his mother and not chased after a life not suited for him, then he wouldn’t be in this position.
"Stop speaking like you know me or the position I am in. I don’t want to speak to a foolish woman. Stop using your husband’s name to act so bold," Warren said, rolling so his back would be to Penelope.
Warren didn’t want to face Penelope even if he couldn’t see.
"There was a time when I wanted to know you. I thought of disobeying my father’s orders and wanted to speak to you just once," Penelope shared.
Warren wasn’t interested in what Penelope wanted to do since she didn’t approach him.
"Don’t think you can story, and I will think of you as a good person. I don’t want to hear that if you could go back in time, you would have spoken to me," said Warren.
It was too late for what anyone wanted to do in the past.
"That hasn’t crossed my mind. If I could go back in time, I would end my interest in you. I would realise that my father was right with us staying away from each other," said Penelope.
Penelope didn’t think that if she had spoken to Warren before his hatred for her family grew that he would have turned out better.
Warren might have been like the other relatives who only cared about her wealth, and Penelope couldn’t take the chance.
"Nothing I said would have ended this hate you hold in your heart. My mother is right that it is best not to spend your life hating someone. This is where you end up," Penelope said, inspecting Warren’s new home. "There isn’t any hope for you."
It satisfied Penelope to see Warren getting what he deserved. Before, she felt sorry for him that he ended up here, and then his mother was worried, but Warren proved himself to be an evil man.
"I spoke of your family, and this is what I deserve? Some princess you are," Warren scoffed.
"You wanted to offer me to a brothel owner. How could you possibly not think that your actions are wrong? I did nothing for you to wish to subject me to such horrors, and it angers me that it could have been one of my sisters," Penelope said, chills spreading across her arms.
What if Warren targeted her sisters instead?
Neither Isabelle nor Lily would deserve to be wrapped up in something . Isabelle was so innocent.
"Blood isn’t always better. I have learned it the hard way," Penelope said, looking down upon Warren. It was unfortunate that he could not see her. "I cannot hold any kindness for people like you."
"You bore me, little lady. If you are going to send for your husband or father to kill me, then do so," Warren said, covering his ears to block out her voice.
"Send for them?" Penelope smiled. "Why would I do that?"