{oOo}

Fulgrim was starting to understand Angron. He felt like chewing on his desk, he was so angry. The worst part though was that he was angry with himself.

(He wasn't a good general. He should have stayed on Chemos.)

Bile shouldn't have been made Chief Apothecary. And if Bile was a mistake he probably made others. He should check once he was done with Bile.

The notes were so horribly hard to read. He understood most of them—that was the problem.

He buried his face in his hands, growling under his breath in frustration, just as somebody opened the door.

Beryl prepared to have to flee if he got angry, and then screwed up her courage and went in anyway. The sight of him growling in frustration pulled her three ways. It frightened her because he could do a lot of damage. It aroused her, because she was in love with him, and she wanted him so blasted bad that the sound of his voice practically reverberated in her bones pleasantly... and the third was concern. She wanted to make things better for him. Silently, she put the cookies and recaf she'd gotten on the cleanest table she could find within his long reach, that wasn't his desk. She didn't want to disturb or upset him, after all.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in a surprisedly tired tone. She was a distraction and he was starting to think he needed one. Maybe the whole situation wouldn't look so bad, once he stopped thinking about it for a while?

"I brought you some refreshments, my lord." she said quietly, unsure how to react, but glad that he didn't seem to be angry at her for it. "Since the.. work might keep you occupied until later..." and you might miss meals. She knew he was capable of such a thing when he was very interested or very determined to do his work.

"Thank you," he said, looking up. Food sounded like a good idea. A very good idea, even. He was quite hungry. He blinked as he looked at her. "Can you tell me more about yourself?"

He didn't know almost anything about her, didn't he? Why? Why hadn't he ever asked?

Oh.

Oh shit.

Beryl tilted her head to the side slightly as she thought over what to tell him. She was very glad she'd opted for her visor today. It would be easier this way. Best to cut down on the details.

"I was born on to a fairly well off family" of nobles on Earth in the Silver Millennium... "who could afford to have me educated and who could afford to indulge me in a few hobbies." She said quietly. And intended to marry me off to another noble once I was proficient in them. The house fell in favor and became commoners. I ended up a servant. "I am ... what would be considered mediocre in the fine arts. Most of what I have trained for is intended to be used in combat." Because I wanted to bring the Lunarians down. More fool I. At least they're useful to you now, my lord. "My homeworld was rather rural, and we didn't have much knowledge of the worlds beyond our own; most people preferred it that way." Because no one wanted to face up to the fact the Moon Kingdom outnumbered and outgunned us. "After some time, I went off-planet. The other planets of the Imperium were very surprising to me, and I suffered culture shock." Because I don't even belong in this dimension and I'm afraid I screwed up the past, and present because of my foolishness.

"I see..." he nodded. Well, he didn't really see, but that was so very little that she told him. "Can you tell me more about your family?"

It seemed like a good start. After all, it would be the beginning.

"My parents were very kind, and I think they were angling to have me married off early. In the end, we had a disagreement, and I left." she said quietly. That the disagreement happened to be about the crown prince in her previous life, she did not mention. That she had parents in this world and her short statement could apply to her relationship with them here for the short time she'd spent in this world, she carefully did not look at. A part of her wanted to say that when she'd been reincarnated they, her first family, were all gone, but she refused to give in to it. She might get caught out, since that was, after all, another lifetime. Another planet. another place.

God, This was so awkward. So many past things she didn't want to get into explaining.

"So, you come from a feudal world?" he asked, frowning. It seemed like a logical conclusion given the implication of arranged marriage. Of course, the institution appeared on non-feudal worlds too. "Actually, I don't think you ever said from which world you came."

It was inevitable that he would catch on this. After all, it was the sort of thing that came up in conversations. Places of origin were important.

Oh. Shit.

{oOo}