Calm and Calamity

Chapter 62

Princess Alfreda's grip on her paper fan tightened.

"And when we had obtained all the food and Bryce's group- and Riley was without food, I made an exchange with her, with my own packets. I would not have used Your Highness' packets of course."

"And this 'exchange' continued even after the peace treaty was formally enacted?"

"Yes, it was, Your Highness. But it was strictly for stress relief," answered Lili quickly. "Nothing else."

"You did not become attached?"

"No, Your Highness."

"It better not, Lili." The fire demon glanced back, her eyes flaring white flames. "For it appears that loyalty is scarce these days." She turned away from her bodyguard. "Pearl and Daina, they have not returned, and I doubt they ever will."

Lili swallowed. "Will we be moving to another sector, Your Highness, after what has just happened?"

The princess gazed up at the ceiling and let out a long and arduous sigh. "It would be quite a shame to leave this house so soon after it had finished being built. We shall wait and see what becomes of this alliance after the events of today. It may yet still hold up, and we will have food." She snapped her fan shut. "Leave; I desire to be alone. Go guard the front door."

"Yes, Your Highness." Lili bowed her head then exited the house. She stood outside, her hands behind her back, shoulders squared, and eyes forward, barely blinking.

Riley, who was tending to the injured, tried to wave at her, but Riley blocked her out.

No more distractions.

Calixte hesitantly approached Lili, his head and voice low.

"Miss Lili," the amphibian began. "I do not want to impose on you, but I wish to have additional fighting lessons. Today has proved... what I am capable of, and it is not enough. Perhaps if I had not been so reluctant during training-"

"I will no longer be holding any training sessions, Mr Calixte," said Lili flatly, not even looking at the amphibian as if he wasn't even there. "I have more important matters to focus on."

"Yes, of course, I apologise." Calixte bowed his head. "It was wrong of me to ask at such a time too." He returned back to helping the injured.

Lili continued to stand guard at the front door.

No more dalliances, Lili told herself. And no more distractions.

*

That night, Princess Alfreda struggled to sleep, as did all the other prisoners, the fear of the golden knight returning haunting them into insomnia. However, Alfreda's dreams were far more vivid and scary. She constantly jolted awake in cold sweats, unable to calm herself, her mind returning to memories that she had long since locked away. The princess even considered ordering Lili to guard the door in case the golden knight managed to break free and come into the room, but Alfreda did not want to fall to such weakness.

It wasn't her, Alfreda kept telling herself. It was just the mask that made Corinna act like her. She's dead; it wasn't her.

It wasn't her.

Though Alfreda' body was coated in sweat, she wanted to cling onto the duvet covers and hide underneath them. She shut her eyes closed so that all she could see was darkness.

Even in that darkness, Alfreda sensed something there, an intruder. She opened her eyes again and was surrounded by an engulfing abyss.

After hesitating, the princess turned around and saw the intruder in her mind. However, she was unsure whether she preferred the intruder in her mind to the golden knight for neither of which she wished to see.