Food. Bathroom. Exchanging one word with the kitchen staff that now hate her. Lilith is gone. Igore is gone. The guards are practically shadows now. Even Val hasn't visited her again. Camrin feels like she's in solitary confinement. And the effects are starting to show. Still, she tries to build her persona. Weak, pitiful, and disgustingly ashamed and remorseful.
It doesn't work. At all. In fact, the weaker she acts, the angrier they get. The more aggressive they behave, the weaker Camrin's persona becomes, crumbling as she tries to hold her attitude in check.
A week passes in this dizzying rhythm before finally, finally, she has something to do. Apparently, Lila's friendship to Camrin is suddenly beneficial for the royal family. Or whoever set up the abrupt meeting anyway. The guards give her a weird look as they escort her to another wing, reminding her with a sneer to stick to her teary promises. Honestly, it surprises Camrin that they would risk a scene with her so soon after her situation. They must have some way of keeping her in check.
Shivering at that thought, she tries to brainstorm ways to show her submission before they blow her to smithereens first. Unfortunately for her it took no time at all before she is standing in front of a huge curved, white door, covering in what looks to be silver flowers. The world around her comes into focus and what she sees makes her understand corruption.
Smooth, golden walls adorned with angel sculptures decorate the inside of the wing. Small, teal lights hanging off of a sculpted balance, giving the area a beautiful glow. Before her drooling could escalate, a young girl, no more than sixteen, opens the door. Her eyes never leave the floor as she bows to the guards, Sif and Feya, as Camrin has come to know, then bows again to...her?
"Lady Camrin, we have been expecting you. Please come in." Camrin stares blankly at the kneeling girl, her gut twisting strangely. One at the position the girl is in and two... didn't the princess organize this meeting? Who else would do this? Not caring, Feya, the meaner one of the guards, though not by much, shoves Camrin into the room, the door quickly closing behind her. They stand there for a second, staring at each other like they see something they recognize. But the moment ends swiftly as the girl avoids her eyes and leads her further through the maze of the suite. The entire sitting and eating room, as the girl calls them, are decorated in a soft pink palette. The bedroom itself follows the same pattern. And in the middle of the jewels, lush carpets, and soft furniture, Lila sits there, unbothered, smiling like a predator.
"Oh. My old friend. How have you been?" Lila smug tone and dangerous smile tell Camrin all she needs to know. A Sen chose her; the rumor is true.
"Lila, long time no see. I was starting to think you forgot about me." Lila laughs tauntingly.
"Well, let's get down to business. You're here because I took pity on you. I know how restless you get when left unattended. And as your dear friend and superior, as of last week, I am here to fix that issue." Lila creeps closer, the blue powder on her face not matching her pink outfit.
"One for the Big three chose me. Do you know that? All that time of you acting better than me, just to get swept under the rug. Eshika doesn't need you anymore."
The venom in Lila's voice surprises Camrin, but not more than the fact that she laid out her insecurities in front of a random maid. When Camrin turns to look at the sixteen-year-old, Lila laughs like she's scored another point.
"Nina. Under my power hold. I own her. A small gift from the Winds."
"You own her?"
"Yep. I own her soul, her mind, everything. She can't do anything I don't want her to. My Sen gifted her to me as evidence of his choice. Isn't it marvelous? Being this powerful?" The silence stretches into seconds, as Lila's grin grows.
"Do you see it now? Why I did what I needed to do?"
"No."
"What!"
"No. You wouldn't have me here if you really had it all. I'm here for you to parade around and make you look better. I'm here because although you have the backing of the Winds that you mentioned, you don't have the palace's attention or support, do you?" Lila's face twists into something dangerous.
"I was chosen by one of the most powerful Sens, the Winds! I can control nature! What about that would not get me their respect. They adore me!"
"Oh really, then why are you not in the royal wing with all the 'important' people. And why are there no guards at the door or maids waiting on your every move, given to you by the palace? Why do you think the princess is making things difficult for you? You must have taken the Sen she wants. And the royalty here," she leans in and whispers, "they always hold grudges." None of what Cam says is even proven to be true. Not that she knows of, but the lies spill out of her mouth, one after another with no stop. No matter what, the words have an effect on her friend, her face twisting in such rage, it turns purple.
SLAAAPPPPP
The sound echoes across the room, the sting shocking, but not unfamiliar. Lila's hands are not the first to come across her face. Still, Cam doesn't let her reaction show. She simply smiles politely at the decorated woman, letting her see the blood seeping from her mouth, turns around and walks herself out of the suite. Nina runs after her frantically, but only curses leave Lila' mouth, and the poor girl has no idea what to do. Before leaving, Cam looks back to her friend with a teasing smile.
"Weird Sen name you have by the way."
Lila's anger basically burns her back, but Cam keeps moving, back straight, head high, proud of what she's done. Until she hears sounds coming this way. Then suddenly she's crouching, trying to hide anywhere she can.
" Tell Lady Lila the princess requests her presence. And tell here to leave that dog of hers in her rooms."
Me? Am I the dog. No wait, it must be Nina, right? I feel bad for that girl.
Cam looks back at the two girls, one dressing in bright colorful green, flowers stuck to every inch of her, and the other in all black, scowling like being forced to come here is an insult to her as they knock at the door.
"Oh. Good morning to you. Where is your lady?" The garden lover says.
"In her rooms. Should I get her for you, or would you like to enter her waiting room until she is-"
"No please," Ms. Voldemort says, "just tell her that the princess requests her presence in the small dining hall near the orange wing. And no one may accompany her there." She says pointedly. Nina smiles politely and closes the door.
The duo quickly leaves, Ms. Voldemort muttering about this insulting job on their way out. Finally, Camrin breathes a sigh of relief, wanting to sneak back to her room. How did Sif and Feya even plan to come get her, anyway. Is there like a specific playdate time she's allowed or something.
As she starts moving backwards, something pulls at her guts, and she freezes in place. The shadows are laughing again. They're laughing. How has she not noticed how dark the hall is here. Her palms are slick with sweat, but something keeps pulling her backwards. She's bored and nosey. Maybe, she'll follow Lila, be able to get more context to what going on around her.
The door to her left creaks opens loudly. One second. Two. Three. Her decision is made. As Lila walks out of her room, hands fidgeting with her beautiful sleeve, Camrin follows slowly behind her, at least 60 meters away. She shouldn't be doing this. She knows she shouldn't be doing this. But the curiosity tugs at her like a string, pulling her to her fate. She tries to memorize the way back to her room or any kind of safety, but her nerves make everything worse. The thump, thump of her racing heart drowns out even the sound of her footsteps, which she hopes is not heard. She follows behind Lila quietly, almost losing her several times, and hopes for the best. Anyway, they seem to be going down, not up, so closer to the servants' level.
Twenty minutes of wondering how the hell Lila knows the entire way through the palace later, Cam finds herself in an open hallway leading into the "small" dining area. God, these people are disgusting rich if this is what they call small.
The high ceiling drops down with antique chandeliers, bright and covered with diamonds. Long glass tables seating up to twelve people are stacked throughout the hall. Before Cam could even grieve how she couldn't see inside, the drama comes out to her in the form of the princess and a horrifyingly familiar face. In front of her, Lila freezes in shock, her practiced smile fighting to stay on her face.
"Oh, there you are Lila. May I introduce you to Anne, a real member of the Eshika people. She is my lady in waiting and one of my dearest friends. And here is her cousin, Stacey, coming from all the way down South. They will be moving here permanently with her father finally accepting his role as a military general. Please get to know them." The princess smiles earnestly at Anne, who laughs and denies her praise, a socially expected behavior. Stacey, however, looks straight at Lila and mouths "Suprise."
Camrin's head goes dizzy. How the hell do they not know her name and face. Elizabeth knew me right away when I first came here. Am I really the only one under their power, the human sacrifice. Her heart goes into overdrive, and she has to lean against the wall to stabilize herself and hide better. If Stacey sees her right now, things could get even worse. And how the hell is she not human anymore, Camrin thinks as she sees the wiggling antennas. What the hell is going on here?
Nearby, Lila seems to be having the same thoughts. Courtiers surround Lady Anne, introducing themselves, complementing her looks, her voice, her mannerism, anything really. But Lila just stands there frozen, the smile no longer plastered on her.
"How is this possible." Lila says in a haunted whisper. "She was in the hut, in the forest, how did she find her way out? I'm the chosen one with a powerful Sen. Why do they like her better. And how is she the relative of a lady in waiting. And how is she a Qestin? And how..." Lila's words trail off, her breathing getting more and more labored.
Still hidden in the shadows, Cam taps her friend. Lila flinches but knows not to turn around in a place like this. Camrin gives an almost silent, light laugh, her voice a raspy whisper.
"You outdid me. And she outdid us both."