Akhile woke up to the dark morning again.
The ceiling shifted and simulated a sunrise, based on her preferences. It still wasn't the same, and it wasn't organic.
She lay still, her mind drifting slowly between her memories and her memories as Princess Cora.
"Good morning, Princess Cora," the apartment intercom said. It was set to speak in soft or hush tones in the mornings, just as she woke up, as well as when it was time for bed. "Your sleep efficiency has improved by seven percent."
Improved?
She sat up slowly.
"Disable monitoring or…surveillance," she commanded.
"I'm sorry," the robotic voice replied gently. "That function is integrated into estate security protocol."
Of course it was.
She stepped out of bed, and the floor warmed automatically beneath her feet.
In the distance, somewhere across the estate courtyard, the lights were already on.
That was Nathaniel's wing.
She stepped into her shower, practically thrusting her body under the forest rain system settings. She started to sing:
"Are we having another fight?
The usual every night,
Aren't we sleeping at all, to dream of the stars and what they might?
Can you please switch off the lights?"
In that moment, the system-initiated background instruments to her song. Akhile smiled and sang louder. This is where they got it right with the surveillance.
She walked into her wardrobe and the panels responded instantly, presenting options based on the week's plan.
They presented executive and neutral tones.
She selected something softer instead. The system dimmed briefly, recalibrating.
Moira arrived precisely at 08:30.
She entered with a tablet pressed to her chest, posture immaculate.
"Princess Cora," she greeted with a warm smile. "Mr Redcliff has scheduled your participation in this morning's strategy meeting."
"Participation?" Akhile asked.
"Yes. You'll be seated beside him."
Beside him?
That felt deliberate, almost as if it were a trap.
Akhile tried her best not to remember what she saw the previous night. Where did Moira even come from? The other wing? Or is she from her house? Is this the walk of shame?
"And if I decline?"
Moira blinked once.
"I would advise against that."
Her tone wasn't threatening enough.
They arrived promptly at Redcliff Pharma. The conference room occupied the highest point of the tower.
The entire room had glass walls. There was a long table made from mahogany wood. Twelve seats were arranged symmetrically.
The Board of Directors appeared in the form of holographic projections at their designated positions.
Nathaniel stood at the head of the table when Akhile entered. The conversations paused.
Akhile walked unsure of why the conversation had paused, but it was because Nathaniel was evaluating her.
"Princess Cora," Nathaniel finally said.
He did not offer a smile, but he simply gestured for her to take the seat at his right.
Moira stood just behind them, her tablet clutched close to her chest.
As soon as Akhile took her seat, the conversation continued. The chair she was on automatically adjusted to her posture.
"At current projections," Nathaniel said calmly, "expansion into the northern territories will increase our revenues by eighteen percent."
"How will this affect the strain on our labour forces?" one investor asked.
"We will have to optimise them," Nathaniel replied.
Moira's fingers moved swiftly, adjusting some notes before they were requested.
Akhile watched from the sidelines.
She wasn't invited to speak.
But she wasn't invisible either.
In that moment, a holographic projection of one of the board members turned his attention toward her.
"Princess Cora," he said. "Do you endorse this optimisation?"
The question landed quietly, but it was a test.
Akhile felt the room narrow.
She took a quick glance at Nathaniel, but he did not look back at her.
He did not intervene either. He allowed the silence to stretch.
This was not about her opinion. This was about her alignment with the Redcliffs…as a Redcliff.
"I can't say, right now. I'm still learning the scope of operations here," she replied evenly. "But I trust that sustainability should include human resources and its considerations."
A subtle pause.
Moira's eyes shot at Nathaniel.
Nathaniel's expression did not change.
"Sustainability," he repeated. "That's the keyword."
The meeting moved on.
But the message had been delivered, and his mind had received it.
When the meeting ended, Nathaniel remained in his standing position.
"You hesitated," he said.
"Well, at the moment, I felt that you set me up."
"I positioned you to have a voice in the decision making, isn't that what you've harping on for?"
"There's a difference."
"What difference? What do you want, Princess Cora?"
He stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"You need to understand something, Princess."
"I understand quite enough, thank you, Sir."
"You are not here to oppose me publicly."
"What if I disagree? I don't believe in modern day slavery."
"Then you disagree with me, privately."
The calmness in his tone unsettled her more than anger could have.
"You are a representative now," he continued. "A representative of this institution. God! Why are we having this conversation again?"
Akhile remained quiet.
"Why are you so wired to oppose me? I have never met someone as stubborn as you, Princess."
The phrase chilled her. The opposing, stubborn Princess Cora.
Moira entered quietly.
"The Geneva Group is prepared for our next meeting, sir."
Nathaniel nodded.
He didn't look at Akhile again.
The conversation was over, hopefully for good.
That evening, Akhile wandered the estate courtyard alone.
The landscaping was immaculate, even under the maroon sky. Everything was so symmetrical, the stone pathways, the hedges and rose bushes were pruned into geometrical shapes. There was even a swimming pool in the far east end. She could see its navy waters, dark but clear to perfection.
There were no weeds, nothing amiss.
Nothing leaned over or looked sickly.
Across the courtyard, a light switched on.
It was Nathaniel's office wing again.
A moment later, another light.
Moira's silhouette passed briefly behind the glass.
Akhile remained still.
She tried to imagine Moira in the Meadowlands. That was weird.
She tried to imagine herself in this world five years from now. She couldn't even see herself making it to the marriage.
A soft chime echoed behind her.
"Princess Cora," the estate system said. "It is recommended that you return indoors. The external quality of oxygen has deteriorated."
"To what?" she asked quietly.
"It is recommended that you return indoors," the system repeated.
In no time, she spotted Tobias walking towards her.
"Of course, here comes the fun police," she thought to herself.
Even the air here, or lack thereof, required that she is watched.
She looked once more toward Nathaniel's illuminated wing.
This place did not sleep, except for her. Her sleep quality had improved 7% after all.
Akhile turned back toward her apartment, but Tobias called out her name to stop her.
"Princess Cora, good evening." He bowed swiftly.
"Hi, Tobias."
"Yes ma'am. I wanted to inform you that you have a guest."
Akhile gasped in shock. That is something she had not expected to hear…ever.
"A guest? Who is it?"
"It's Master Norman Redcliff, ma'am."
Her breath stopped.
She hadn't spoken his name out loud in a while, she had almost forgotten about him.
Her heartbeat went into overdrive. She could almost hug Tobias.
She felt a sense of belonging.