Andria’s POV
"She is here," Zade said over the phone, his voice slightly wavering.
"Who is that?" I was asked to pack my bags to leave the apartnt.
"Lena is here," he replied calmly as if he was waiting for to explode.
I was confused, anxious and unprepared for that news. How co? Why now?.
"How did you find out? Where did you see her?" I asked, curiosity getting the best of .
"She appeared on my doorstep," he said, barely above a whisper.
"How? Zade, are you setting up?" I asked, anxiety lacing my tone.
"I wouldn’t have called you if I intended setting you up..." he paused, as if he was being distracted from the other end.
"Zade? Where is Lena now?"
"Shh. I just heard sothing, she might be outside my door," he whispered.
"Then we shouldn’t be speaking to each other in your apartnt until she is gone," I replied and imdiately hung up the phone.
I rechecked my appearance in the mirror. I was sure I looked nothing like Andria. I was Aria now, and not the Andria she once bullied.
I styled my hair into a bun, dropping two strands in front, carrying my little sling bag and walked out of my room.
"You look so much better, Ari," Becca called out after as I hurried towards the door.
"Take care of yourself and don’t run into Zade. Don’t want you looking the way you looked earlier," Becca teased.
I paused, turned and rolled my eyes at her and then stord out of the apartnt, closing the door behind .
I walked faster than I thought to the sick bay.
The sick bay was quieter than usual, and the grumpy receptionist looked at and recognized imdiately when I stepped in.
"I’m looking for a nurse in her mid-fifties," I said as I got close to the reception stand.
"She will be here soon. I already sent her a ssage as soon as I saw you," she answered, smiling down at .
I was shocked at her warm reception as she wasn’t the kind to smile at anyone.
Lady Eskareth appeared shortly, smiling at . " I’ve missed you, kid," she said, embracing .
"I’ve missed you too," I replied, giggling.
"It doesn’t seem like you actually did. You look very pretty," she teased, and then paused, sensing my hesitation, and my quick smile.
"What brings you here, my child?" She asked, drawing out of the open to a secluded area in the hallway.
We walked to the bench in the hallway and sat.
"I’m troubled," I started. "I don’t know where to spend the holidays as I can’t return to where I ca from."
"Sure, you can’t. They have searched for you a lot, and if they find you now, it wouldn’t be a good experience," Lady Eskareth concurred.
"But that’s not all, child. What more is troubling you?"
"Zade knows, and Lena is here, in Zade’s house," I replied, biting my lips nervously.
"Then you have nothing to worry about, Aria. Just compel him. Compel him to forget," she replied blatantly.
"But the process drains . It makes crave blood, and I can’t feed, I would be weak," I replied, almost imdiately with a panic-laced tone.
"Trust , you will be fine. That’s the only way out. After that, leave your room and co here at night, I’ll take you to where you can feed," she replied.
"Isn’t that a taboo? Who would I feed on? What if I’m caught?" I asked, feeling very uncomfortable.
"You wouldn’t be caught, besides, you wouldn’t be committing a taboo," Lady Eskareth replied, her countenance as calm and unperturbed as usual.
"Ok, I’ll pay Zade a visit at the house and do just what you had just said," I swallowed.
Lady Eskareth nodded, taking my hands in her palm gently and closing her eyes.
"You have a question, a revelation, a riddle, and you want answers for them. They are your major causes for concern, my child," she said, soothing each of my fingers gently.
"Now spill. I would answer as much as I can."
I inhaled and exhaled before narrating my dream. "Who was the baby? I thought Princess Liara was the only child of the king, begotten by the dead queen."
"No. So many things are hidden in this kingdom, especially in the palace. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, not so many truths about the palace are beautiful; so are very hideous," Lady Eskareth replied.
"So what is the truth then?. I want to know the beautiful and hideous truth about the palace and long years of bloodshed," I replied with curious enthusiasm.
"When you co by evening after doing what I had asked you to do, I will narrate everything to you," she replied calmly, her countenance becoming stern.
This kingdom and the palace, most especially, are filled with stories, lies and bloodshed, and I can’t even uncover everything.
"You look unsatisfied. Anyway, Ari, this place isn’t a favourable place to discuss such hidden truths," she pacified .
"I’m not unsatisfied, I’m just lost in thoughts about the weight of truth I’m about to digest," I replied.
"You need to know," she replied. "For now, just go and make sure you do as you are told," she finished, stood up and walked down the hallway.
I stood up seconds later and headed towards the exit, smiling at the grumpy receptionist who was smiling deceptively at .
I checked the ti, and it was almost 5 pm. I didn’t bother to go back to my apartnt. I walked straight to Zade’s apartnt.
I hesitated before reaching the door to his apartnt before knocking on the door.
I knocked twice before soone opened the door. I raised my head to co face to face with the one I dreaded the most, Lena.
"Hi," I said wryly. "You must be Zade’s sister," I said, feigning ignorance.
Lena chuckled a bit before shaking her head sideways. "I’m not his sister. I’m his lover," she replied.
"Lover?" I asked, confusion laced in my tone. "Is Zade ho? I have an important ssage to pass."
Lena rolled her eyes at , refusing to let in. She turned her head inside, bringing the door even closer to her body, as if she was preventing from looking inside the apartnt.
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