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“What plan?” Kitana asked, not turning around to look at a distraught Lyra.

Lyra moved to her, placed a hand on her arm, and forced her to look her way.

“The King will have our heads!” Lyra hissed. “Haven’t you heard he caught the killers? You didn’t even say anything! And it won’t be long before he finds out we were behind it. What do we do?”

Kitana remained silent. She yanked her arm out of Lyra’s, and continued gazing out the window.

“I know, I know.” Lyra said, snapping her fingers at an idea. “I will bribe a guard to poison their food so they won’t say a word. A brilliant plan, yes?”

“Hmm”, Kitana mused, her eyes following Lady Beatrice moving across the field of grass. “I wonder what our next challenge will be.”

“What?” Lyra was flabbergasted.

“I hated the last one. Made me feel like a peasant, when did Princesses require to know how to skin and make a fire? I don’t want to relate with the people, it breeds nothing but disrespect, don’t you think?”

.....

Lyra stepped up to her, “What nonsense are you saying? I just said the King will have our...”

“...maybe it will be a Royal sport this time.” Kitana cut her off. “I hope not though.”

“Listen to me!” Lyra yelled at her face. “Listen to me and stop talking nonsense!”

Kitana had the urge to slap Lyra, for it seemed she had a loose screw in her head. Instead of acting on that impulse, she moved to sit on her bed, and gave a long sigh.

“The King will only find out if you keep acting this way.” Kitana cautioned. “And besides, if they wanted to reveal who it was, they would have done so before they stepped foot inside this palace.”

Lyra’s eyes shone, the revelation shining some hope down on her. “Really?”

Kitana nodded. “Yes. So calm down, the way you are acting is giving it all away. You are being suspicious.”

Lyra blinked in realization. At once, she straightened her back and wore a smile. When she saw herself in Kitana’s mirror, her hand flew to cover her mouth.

“I look hideous!” She screamed. “I have to get my hair done!”

Soaking herself in her characteristic superficiality, was enough to create a distraction for her to leave Kitana’s room and worry about something else. Kitana was glad she told her the lie she needed to hear. Lyra being seen coming over to her room would draw suspicion to her side if the truth were to come into broad daylight.

Kitana could not afford something like that happening to her, no, not when she was so close already.

She had suspected that Lyra would mess up. Even though she promised that everything would go as planned, she just had a feeling that something was going to go wrong.

Kitana bit her lower lip as she thought of what to do.

She couldn’t risk being strung into this mess. No, she couldn’t, she had to make sure only Lyra would go down for it.

The summon for the details of the next contest came late in the afternoon. The Princesses assembled in the drawing room. When Kitana looked over to Lyra, she was already back in shape. Lyra’s previously messed up hair was smoothened down her back, and she had changed into a new dress.

She peered at the other two Princesses. Jasmine, still composed as ever, waited with eager ears at the announcement of the next contest. What surprised her was Zelda still sticking through up till that moment. When she draws up a new elimination plan, Kitana made sure she would begin with the fat Princess, Zelda had refused to lose and kept showing up like a weed.

“For the next contest”, Lady Weslee announced, drawing Kitana’s attention back to her. “We would love for you to sew a dress shirt. There will be a time limit, and scores would be based on the cutting and the neatness of your stitches.”

‘Better’, Kitana thought.

These were what Princesses grew up doing; drawing, painting, singing, music, sewing, reading, nothing belittling or outdoorsy that were meant for maids or men.

Everyone seemed to be pleased with it. And after that, they were dismissed. Kitana spent the rest of the day lounging in her room, as she waited for the King to strike when the killers reveal who was behind the hire. And when he did, she would be ready.

...

Azriel met Penelope at the stables. She was alone, and he watched her talk to a horse, a black grey-dotted mare, one of his favourites. She spoke to it as if it understood her. He wondered what she was saying into its ear, and the horse, as if conversing with her, neighed at intervals.

When she turned around and saw him, she jumped with a start.

“Missed me?” He joked.

“I didn’t know you were here, my Lord.” She said. She made to move away, but he was quick to step in her path.

“I don’t even get a welcome back from you.” He said.

“Welcome back, my Lord.”

Azriel tilted his head to the side, regarding her with up-close scrutiny. She looked more fully healed than when she was first brought around. But for the past few days, just before he was away at the palace, she seemed to have changed. He didn’t know if it was just in his head, but he had noticed she had put up walls around him, walls as high as the fence surrounding his castle. What he couldn’t fathom was the reason why, and if something had occurred within the time she had spent in her new environment.

“I would like to go about my duties, my Lord.” She said.

When she made to move past him, he held unto her arm, stopping her in her tracks.

“Did something happen?” He asked outright.