anwhile, in the Palace, there was tension.
Faeralys sat slouched in a chair that probably cost more than her family's entire estate, glaring at the table set before her. The Garden Lounge was a verdant paradise—roses blooming with the kind of effortlessness that only endless royal gardeners and obscene budgets could achieve. The air slled of jasmine, ambition, and passive aggression.
She wasn't stupid. She knew a trap when she saw one.
Across from her, perched like a smug peacock, was Esralda, the self-proclaid queen bee of the harem. Esralda was all sugary smiles and venomous undertones, surrounded by her handpicked cronies: Tarriel Opulai and Margarette Edalia. They flanked her like decorative guard dogs, each with their own flavor of sycophancy.
"You've been summoned to a tea party," they'd said. "It'll be delightful," they'd said.
Faeralys knew better. The palace was less of a ho and more of a political snake pit where the only thing sharper than the won's tongues were their diamond-encrusted hairpins.
Still, here she was. Because saying no wasn't really an option when you lived under the sa roof as the Empress's second-in-command of chaos.
"What do you want?"
Esralda, radiant in gold-trimd silk, tilted her head like a cat playing with a half-dead mouse. "Faeralys, darling, must I have a reason to spend ti with one of my husband's…" She paused for effect. "…other wives?"
Tarriel giggled on cue, a sound so shrill it could probably summon bats. Margarette snickered, her eyes darting between Faeralys and Esralda like she was watching her idol at work.
Faeralys rolled her eyes so hard she worried they might get stuck. "You've never called here before," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "So, yes. I assu you have a reason."
"Dear Faeralys," Margarette cooed with faux sympathy, flipping her hair as if the gesture held moral weight. "Her Imperial Majesty graces us all with her presence. You should be thankful."
"Know your place," Tarriel hissed, practically vibrating with fervor.
Esralda barely flicked a glance her way. "Tarriel, darling, don't be so dramatic."
Watching this unfold, Faeralys briefly contemplated diving headfirst into the nearest rosebush.
Then she leaned in, her lips curving into a saccharine smile. "You must be so lonely here, Faeralys. A simple country girl in this vast, overwhelming palace. It's tragic, really."
Faeralys frowned. "I'm fine."
"Of course you are," Esralda purred. "But don't worry, darling. I'm here for you. Let's drink, shall we?" She gestured to the tea.
Tarriel bead, holding up her cup. "This blend is from my father's estate. A rare delicacy, Lady Faeralys." She pointed towards Faeralys's untouched cup, the implication clear.
The red haired girl hesitated but couldn't detect anything suspicious. The tea slled normal, looked normal. And honestly, she needed sothing to calm her nerves.
She drained the cup in one unladylike gulp..
"Oh, my," Margarette said, her voice dripping with faux concern. "Not very refined, are you, Lady Faeralys?"
Faeralys bristled. She had spent her entire life being told she wasn't "proper." Too rough. Too loud. Too herself.
The empress chuckled softly, as if sensing blood in the water. "Oh, don't be cruel, Margarette. Poor Faeralys can't help it. She grew up with eight brothers, after all. Hardly her fault she's… rough around the edges."
Faeralys clenched her fists.
"It's lucky for you, darling, that Argider has… let's say… broad tastes. Brains aren't a requirent. Just a certain… breedable quality."
Faeralys slamd her fists on the table so hard the delicate china rattled. "Listen here, you preening, condescending—"
"Lady Faeralys!" Esralda interrupted, her voice mock-scandalized. "Such behavior is unbecoming!"
"Oh, unbecoming? I'll show you unbecoming!" Faeralys was in full rant mode now, flinging insults like daggers. "You think you're clever, but you're just a puffed-up—"
And then, there was-
A sound of fart.
A small, sharp, and undeniably audible fart.
A stunned silence fell over the Garden Lounge.
Faeralys froze, her face turning crimson. Her hands darted to her stomach, betrayal written all over her expression.
Tarriel gasped. Margarette covered her mouth, eyes wide. Esralda blinked once, twice, then burst into peals of laughter so dainty and lodious it could have been scripted.
The girl was mortified, wanted to crawl under the table and never resurface. Instead, she muttered, "I'm never drinking your damn tea again."
Esralda, tears of laughter streaming down her cheeks, waved a dismissive hand. "Oh, Faeralys, darling. You've truly made my day."
"W-Wha—?!" Faeralys gasped, clutching her midsection as an ominous rumble echoed through the Garden Lounge.
And then it happened.
Again.
And again.
A symphony of flatulence escaped her, growing louder and more aggressive, like an uncontrollable brass section in a cursed orchestra.
"Good heavens! The audacity!" Margarette shrieked, holding a lace handkerchief to her nose like a damsel in a bad lodrama. "First, you slam your fists on the table, and now you dare pollute our air?!"
"I-I swear I can't control it!" Faeralys stamred, her face turning as red as the roses around them.
Little did she know, the tea she had so trustingly downed had been laced with Yurlac, a potion derived from an exotic flower known for its, shall we say, purging properties. Usually administered to relieve overindulgence, it had found a new purpose in the hands of Esralda and her scheming cohorts.
The atmosphere in the Garden Lounge quickly deteriorated. The delicate scent of jasmine was overpowered by sothing far less dignified.
Esralda, always composed, pinched her nose and coughed delicately. "Dear gods, Faeralys. I understand the country upbringing, but this is…" She trailed off, waving a jeweled hand in front of her face.
"I-I'm sorry!" Faeralys cried, her voice trembling as tears threatened to spill. She stood abruptly, knocking over her chair in her haste. She turned and bolted, leaving a trail of audible, uh, evidence in her wake.
The other won paused for a mont before bursting into laughter.
Margarette smirked, her nose still buried in her handkerchief. "Well, that will certainly be the talk of the palace."
Esralda raised her teacup, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "Indeed. Poor Faeralys. Such a delicate flower… wilted by her own wind."
Faeralys ran as fast as her legs could carry her, her mortification fueling every step. "Fuck these won!" she muttered, her fists clenched.
She darted through the winding palace corridors, desperate to escape the scene of her humiliation. Her destination? Anywhere but there.
Finally, she burst into the atrium, the grand open space providing a mont of solace. She slamd the door behind her and leaned against it, panting. The cool marble beneath her fingers and the faint chirping of birds brought a shred of calm to her otherwise chaotic mind.
And then a hand landed gently on her shoulder.
The touch sent a jolt through her like a lightning strike. Faeralys spun around, her instincts flaring. "Get the fuck away from !" she snapped, raising her fists like she was ready to fight.
The woman before her stepped back, startled. Her long, gray hair was swept elegantly over one shoulder, and her piercing eyes softened as she raised her hands in a gesture of peace.
It was Callista.
"I—" Callista began, her voice calm and asured. "I was only trying to help. You looked rather pitiful—"
"Don't call pitiful! And don't touch !" Faeralys barked, her tone sharp enough to cut glass.
Callista tilted her head, a small smile playing on her lips. "How adorable," she murmured, mostly to herself. "You remind of Argider. So fiery. So young."
"Don't compare to her!" Faeralys snapped, her fists trembling with leftover adrenaline and indignation. "And I'm not young!"
Callista's smile widened, an almost maternal amusent gleaming in her eyes. "Oh, but you are. It's not a bad thing, you know."
Faeralys growled, her frustration bubbling over like a kettle left too long on the stove. "What do you want? To make fun of like the rest of them?"
Callista's expression shifted, her amusent tempered by sothing more thoughtful. "Not at all. You've had a rough day, haven't you?"
Faeralys crossed her arms, her scowl deepening. "What do you care? Everyone in this palace is the sa. Fake smiles, hidden daggers, and constant scheming. You're no different."
Callista chuckled softly, a sound that lacked the malice Faeralys had co to expect from the palace won. "You've got quite the mouth on you. Reminds of Argider when she first arrived here. All fire and no finesse."
"I'm not her!" Faeralys snarled again, though her voice cracked slightly, betraying the vulnerability beneath her anger.
"No," Callista agreed, her tone soothing. "You're not. Argider has her… charms, but you? You're sothing else entirely."
Faeralys blinked, caught off guard. "What's that supposed to an?"
Callista's gaze softened further. "It ans you're pure. Unpolished, yes, and perhaps a little naive, but there's a strength in you that even you don't see yet."
Faeralys stared at her, unsure whether to feel insulted or comforted. "You sound like you're trying to give so kind of life lesson."
"Maybe I am," Callista said with a shrug. "You're going to need thick skin if you want to survive in this palace. People like Esralda will test you at every turn. But don't let them break you. They're all bark and no bite."
"Esralda just poisoned with fart tea!" Faeralys exclaid, throwing her hands in the air. "How is that not biting?!"
Callista chuckled again, shaking her head. "Fair point. But even so, don't give them the satisfaction of seeing you crumble."
Faeralys's shoulders sagged, the weight of the day catching up to her. "I just want to go ho," she muttered, her voice barely audible.
Callista's expression softened even further, and she placed a gentle hand on Faeralys's arm. "Ho is wherever you decide to make it, Faeralys. You'll find your place here. Just give it ti."
For a mont, Faeralys allowed herself to relax, the warmth of Callista's words seeping into her like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.
But then her stomach rumbled ominously, and her eyes widened in horror.
Callista stepped back, raising a brow. "Still feeling the effects of Esralda's little prank, I see."
Faeralys groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Kill now."
Callista laughed softly. "Oh, child. This is only the beginning."
Reviews
All reviews (0)