Calm and Calamity

Chapter 6

Fortunately, there was still plenty of the family that was on Corinna's side and continued religiously to donate, some even more than ever. But there were only a few people remaining that continued to talk and interact with Rhea. Even some of the children avoided her, innocently and naively following their parents' example.

It wasn't her fault that she got saved first, Rhea kept telling herself. It was random.

But as each day passed, doubt started sinking further into Rhea's mind. Was it random? Or did the queen really abuse her power and spare her first?

Rhea glanced over to one of the television screens on the wall. It was a news broadcast reporting the new changes that Queen Corinna IX had enacted. Sighing, Rhea stared at the image of the queen on the screen, her face hidden behind the white and featureless mask. It had only been about six years since Rhea had been her nursemaid and yet Queen Corinna had changed so much in that time to become almost unrecognisable. She hoped there was still a small part of her there if she truly did choose Rhea's life to be saved first instead of by random.

After a long moment of staring into space, Rhea stood up and picked her belongings. She hesitantly kissed her sleeping father on his forehead, then left the hospital to return home.

Day: 253

Corinna continued to pace up and down the room. Each time she turned her face would scrunch up even more, then she would sigh and groan, her fingers gripping at her hair.

Harmony and Calixte watched the spectacle, laying down on the amphibian's mattress near the blocked-up fireplace.

"Do you think Miss Corinna is unwell?" Calixte asked Harmony, pausing from reading his novel out of concern.

"Nah," replied Harmony, shrugging. "She's just thinking. In a minute she'll stop and tell us what it is."

"What do you think it is?"

"Probably some new construction project."

Watching Corinna continue to pace around the room, Harmony raised her finger and glanced at Calixte. Predicting the young woman's movements, Harmony lowered her hand and a split moment after Corinna stopped and turned to face her roommates.

"See?" Harmony gave a smug smile to Calixte.

"So..." Corinna clapped her hands together, her cheeks puffing out with air as she collected all of her thoughts together. "I have been thinking..."

"Oh, you have?" said Harmony sarcastically, smirking.

Corinna let out a short snort of amusement before continuing, "you know that goblin and the headless horseman guy?"

"Not personally, but I am aware of their existence, yes," replied Calixte.

"Well, they're not getting much food at the drop-offs..." Corinna glanced down at the floor, her shoulders hunched over.

"You worried that they might resort to fighting next time?" asked Harmony.

"No, that wasn't- wait, do you think they might?"

Harmony shrugged. "There's only two of 'em so unlikely. But with each drop-off, they're going to get even more desperate. More likely that they'll seek an alliance with the fire demon and try and dethrone us from first pickings."

"Right..." Corinna paused, then whimpered, "how likely will that happen?"

Her eyes widening, realising that she caused panic, Harmony quickly dismissed her last statement. "I doubt the fire demon would accept. They already get all the food they need. In fact, despite being so strong that demon seems to dislike fighting, only does it if they have to. I'm sure it'll all be fine!" She looked to Calixte for reassurance. "Right?"