The Stronghold

The News

"Why did you suddenly drop all of your outside companies?" she queried, rising to her feet. There was a muttering around the room and styluses were poised over electronic tablets.

"It was due to forces beyond my control," I said, trying to keep my voice level. "I had no say in the matter."

"So are you being blackmailed then?" the woman pressed.

"I don't really know much about the matter in hand."

"Then why do as you were told when you didn't have all the facts?"

Boy, is she persistent.

"I was told what to do via means of threat and so I did it. Another speaker, please." I looked down at the desk and started to tap a nervous rhythm with my fingertips, jumpy adrenaline coursing through me.

A man stood up, a recording machine held out in front of him. "You say that you were threatened," he began, "but how? All the facts, please."

"I really can't say anything," I replied. "But I can tell you that I wasn't threatened directly. People I care about were."

"Like your fiancée, for example? Congratulations on the engagement, by the way. I bet she won't stick around after this calamity."

Do these reporters ever shut up?

"Yes, but that was my fault," I said, glancing at Georgina who was stood at the back of the room. Her eyebrows flicked up briefly and she rolled her eyes, giving the reporter a withering look.

"And if she doesn't," I continued, a smile growing on my face, "then I'll disable her arm."

Georgina's look of horror and the reporter's look of shock made me fall about with laughter. That's what happens when I'm nervous - I do stupid things.

"Next question," Kevin said hurriedly. Lotte stood up, twirling a paintbrush between her fingers for some reason.

"Have you two set a date for the wedding yet?" was her question. Georgina groaned and I sagged down in my seat.

"Please don't talk about that," I begged, "I'm stressed enough right now."

"Same over here," Georgina muttered, tapping her foot against the wall. Lotte laughed and sat back down.

"Is there any more questions?" I asked. One person raised their hand. A man with very pale skin, pink eyes and white hair stood up.

An Albino. Cool.

"Has your third task arrived yet?" he said quietly. "And did you show it anyone?"

"Um..." I hesitated, trying to phrase the facts in the best way I could. "No, it hasn't. And like it stated, Georgina did see it, but she's trustworthy."

"You understood the warning..."

"Yes, yes. And that brings an end to the session!" I cried, standing and clapping my hands together. "Um, thank you for coming, I hope you got what you came for..."

"What was all that about?" the woman in the green top shouted. "Who is this guy?"

"Never seen him before, never will again. Kevin will escort you out." I stayed in place, a fixed smile spread across my features. The second the door shut it vanished and I collapsed back into my chair.

"I hate talking to people," I wailed. "Why can't they just leave me alone?!"

"Because you're famous, you're fabulous and you got into the newspapers," Georgina said, walking to the front of the room and sitting on an abandoned chair.

"They didn't interrogate Clarkson as much when he punched someone," I grumbled.

"That was years ago and you're more powerful than he is," Georgina retorted. "Of course you're going to get more press coverage. And anyway, they tried, he just didn't elaborate about anything."

"Fine..." I sighed and rested my elbows on the desk, propping my chin up in my hands. "I want to sleep now but I can't, I have to work and wait and-"

"Calm down, shut up, go upstairs and give me your phone," Georgina said firmly. "I'll look after things for you now."

I rose from the desk and jumped over it, wrapping her up in a giant hug. "Thank you," I whispered in her ear, smiling gratefully. "Thank you."

"No big deal," she said, extracting herself from my embrace and regarding me with a half pitying, half adoring look. "It means that I get to have all the food and you don't."

"I'm not hungry," I said, moving away and blurring upstairs. I flopped onto the bed, snatched up my pyjamas that I'd left abandoned in a heap and got changed quicker than I ever had before. Sighing contentedly I wrapped the duvet around myself, curling up, closing my eyes and slipping into sleep.