Returning to school was possibly the best thing to have happened to me. Instead of worrying about what I couldn't control, my mind was occupied with all the new material presented before the semester's final exam. While we were promised a review next week, there was still more to learn before that point.
So far, Camellia had stuck to the shadows - all cats were like that my parents told me - but I knew she was keeping a low profile before returning to her real objective.
Lisa was back in school. From what I gathered in the morning, Lisa's mom was sick. If I had to guess, Allure played a huge part in the conversation. It was a convenient skill to have. Carlos scribbled down a huge letter through class stating that the forum knew Camellia was a scapegoat. How they were getting this information, he couldn't say. He tried to track down the sources, but they were a dead end. It solidified my take that someone on the forum was part of the Extremists.
To think they would stay quiet after Camellia had been exposed . . . It all came back to the same thing. Whoever controlled the Extremists was behind the assassination attempt, the attack on the embassy, and the leaker. It was all the same person. Other than creating chaos, what else did they hope to achieve?
"Mind if I sit here?"
I looked up and saw Lisa with her lunch kit in hand. Amber, Sandra, and Brissa had skipped their lunch to work on last-minute assignments. I sat alone in the cafeteria; grateful no one had interrogated me so far.
"Go ahead," I told her.
Lisa sat across from me. She took out a steel thermal; it looked like a water bottle. There was a dark straw, and she drank from it.
"How's your mom?" I asked.
She gave me a strained smile. "No change," she replied. The ambassadors are working again, but they're being observed. She hasn't come home yet. I don't know how much more it will take. Plus, with the news going around . . . It doesn't look good. The Crown Prince seemed to be on the mend."
I bit my lip. "It appears that way," I whispered. "Not sure how it happened."
I glanced around, making sure there wasn't anyone eavesdropping. The only ones who could be vampires, and there were a handful of them in here.
"They know not to pry," Lisa said, sensing my thoughts. "Besides, did you notice that many of them didn't return to school? It's online classes now. I'll be staying home too. I can practically hear what everyone is thinking though no one has asked me anything."
"I'm surprised they've kept their distance," I admitted.
"I know I've sent a few glares around," Lisa admitted. "I'm sure everyone else has too."
"Wish I could do something."
"Enjoy not having royal responsibilities," Lisa said. "I remember Cassidy eager to help out, and when she got it, she was and still is overwhelmed." She shrugged. "But that's the nature of what she must do."
That's what I told myself, but it didn't stop me from feeling useless.
"I never asked," Lisa said, changing the subject. "How did your meeting go with the Queen Consort?"
I bit my lip. "I'm not sure," I told her. "Lady Hargrave ordered our attire for the announcement ceremony. She's hard to read, but she blames me for what happened."
"I never met the woman, but she sounds like a tough customer."
"Yeah."
"Did you visit her for the holidays?"
I shook my head. "No. I don't think Alexander wanted to, and we had the ball."
"Keep an eye out," Lisa warned. "The next set of holidays are around the corner, and she might cause a little trouble."
"You think so?"
"Judging from her previous actions and character, I'd say it is safe to assume so."
"Thanks for the heads up."
That afternoon, Joseph dropped me off at Royal Prints. My internship would be ending at the end of the semester. So far, I hadn't been invited to come back. Today, I was at the receptionist's desk processing online orders and taking phone calls. Most of the calls were telling customers to order online. The online orders had to be accepted first. Royal Prints was very selective in what they would do. Plus, there had to be a design team available to work on the project.
I had to reject a few because they were so last minute. They wanted a full selection of brochures, business cards, and flyers in two weeks. No design team was available this year. So, everything was being pushed back to after the holidays.
I had finished up a third of the query when Miss Melanie called me into her office. I told Jesse before walking to the elevator. Usually, she was in her office, but today she had a client. It didn't make sense to call me, but maybe she would tell me I was keeping my internship for next semester too. Or she's firing you; I couldn't help but think.
I thought back to my work and decided to put the thought out of my head. If anything, I'd stayed later than usual and finished everything. They couldn't say I wasn't a hard worker. Miss Melanie was in one of the conferences room. I knocked before walking in.
I walked into the room, and my stomach twisted. Sitting with Miss Melanie was Lady Hargrave. A strained smile made its way across my face.
"Hello dear," Lady Hargrave said. "I didn't know you worked here."
"Hi," I said.
I stood awkwardly at the door.
"Join us," Miss Melanie said. "I didn't know Lady Hargrave was helping with your announcement ceremony. That's so exciting."
Halfway to the chair, I stopped. "Yeah," I replied, trying to think back to when we first met.
"But that's not why I'm here today," Lady Hargrave said. "I want to host a small charity event during the holidays. And if Rin is here, why doesn't she help me with this?"
Miss Melanie's smile froze. "Rin is an intern and not part of a design team," she began.
"That's unfortunate," Lady Hargrave said. "Well, how about this? Send her over to help with the preparations and setting up the venue. That should be enough for an intern, yes?"
"She can be of help," Miss Melanie said.
Unsure what to do, I remained standing. They talked as if I wasn't there. Then again, why did they need me to join them? Surely, they were done with their conversation.
Miss Melanie motioned me to sit down. I sat beside her and waited. The two talked about the venue and decorations, along with the food. Miss Melanie scribbled down notes in her planning book. Lady Hargrave chose everything. She didn't need time to think. I hadn't spoken a word by the end of the one-hour conversation. It was clear that Lady Hargrave was purposefully ignoring me. Miss Melanie tried to include me, but Lady Hargrave was no easy opponent.
"You must be extremely busy," I finally managed to say. "Miss Melanie and I are excited to help. Let us know if you need anything else."
Lady Hargrave's smile froze on her face. I was sure she could smell my nervousness. Instead, I glanced at my phone.
"Oh, look at the time," I continued. "I'm afraid this is where I must leave you."
I stood, bowed to Lady Hargrave, and said goodbye to Miss Melanie. I felt the stares as I walked out of the room. My legs shook. I wasn't scared, but I was starting to regret talking. Lady Hargrave didn't like me, and she had enough power to make my life difficult. It all sounded dramatic, but I wouldn't put it past her. She was a woman who was used to getting her way. Plus, she was also Alexander's mother. Having her acknowledge me was possibly the last hurdle I needed to overcome; it looked like it would be a very high hurdle.