Such a satisfying sound came from the steak I put my fork into. It was this texture, this kind of mouth-watering sensation that one without culinary expertise cannot grasp.
And of course, oh dear, as if I am a culinary expert. Out of instinct and hunger, I am just really keen on enjoying the food on my plate.
A glass of wine was next to this old man who's supposed to be my uncle or something. I've never understood the lineage of the Imperial Family and I've never gotten to grasp just how many relatives i have. I have to reach a bottomless level of boredom to allow myself to waste some of my precious time in my life.
I have better things to do.
Grabbing my wine, the servants behind me poured a little wine to fill it so that I never see my glass empty. It is considered rather rude to find your glass empty. It is a sign of disrespect from the host, so it almost never happens. But if the servant is incompetent or something, then things get...rather tricky.
What's the worst punishment punishment that i've carried out to a servant who screwed up last time? Oh yeah, I probably beat them up. Or make them lick my boots.
Following the death of one of my allies in the Imperial Court, Lady Anastasia Ylva, the daughter of prominent nobles, I am left with approximately my parents' supporters, and the families of my friends from the Odeon.
This was a catastrophic month for me. It may be the one in which I've received the most losses in the span of a year. Kicking Vespertite out of the Palace only made her stronger for some reason.
The steak bled, as I pushed my fork further in. Calm down, myself. Right now, I've put the Headmaster of the Odeon to handle the job; send in the best student he has for the job. Someone with a lot of...firepower.
I elegantly cut the piece of meat, pushing it into my mouth, laughing with the whole group in the table for an unknown reason. I wasn't paying much attention to what the adults were saying.
It was medium rare: just how I liked it. That's why it bled. It wasn't so much that I liked how it tasted, but I sure love the texture. Primarily because it fulfils my sadistic side, watching the blood flow out on my plate, and also because of its soft texture.
Yes, I have issues, but I don't let other people see them. Otherwise, they'd use them against me. And then I'd have to kill them. It's such a hassle, really.
I brushed the blood from my lips using a handkerchief. Just then, father let out a cough in the table. Something has been attacking his lungs for a while now; each time I see it triggering, I cannot help but visualise my coronation.
Father is now old. Old men die. That's how it goes. Oh, is it wrong to get excited each and every time Father aches?
Enough about that, Aristea, relax. Others will see under your mask if you push it too much. A servant came in with a small paper bag on their hand and a cup of water, pouring the white powder it had inside the said paper bag.
"Your medication, Your Highness."
The servant bowed down to me, and I took the cup from her hands, using both of mine. I thanked her, and drank it quietly.
I should take this more often. Otherwise, I'll end up killing Father, and that won't be really nice, you know. It feels wrong killing the one who birthed your fabulous self.
My mother helped him calm down, patting his back.
"Don't worry, dear. Let's pray to Jesus later. It'll be alright. It'll calm down."
Ah, my mother. So beautiful. So elegant...and at the same time, so extravagant. She usually is close to the people, an extraordinary trait for the Imperial Family to mingle with the matters of plebs.
She has funded the construction of many orphanages, churches, schools, and generally the cause of the Empire. Whenever the people are unable to pay their taxes, she comes to help, donating a part of her personal wealth to the Empire.
Augustina Palatina Bernadotte. Mother was an idol to me once. But I ditched her for an idol far ahead of herself: myself. She may be donating to charity, but I'm helping weeding out the enemies of the Empire here! And I believe that's way greater than her "noble" cause, merely a hypocrisy to raise the popularity of the Imperial Family.
Suddenly, I heard a pattern of footsteps that isn't normally strolling around these ends. Eventually, good news. The leader of my bodyguard unit, and also my boyfriend, Lucius Aemilius Caelo, entered the room.
He was tall, handsome, and the reason why my sister was exiled in the first place. He falsely testified against her, following my scandal with him.
He was one dirty boy, flirting with me when he already had Vespertite. This clearly proves my superiority as a woman.
Lucius bowed down at my Father, excused himself, and came next to me, whispering to my ear.
"Dear, your sister...proves to be a constant thorn to our side."
"What?!"
The entire table looked at us, as I shouted at the top of my lungs.
"Ahah, sorry. I guess I got too...excited...hehe..."
The table let out a surprised laughter, seeing as the cause of my shout wasn't anything serious.
I excused myself, and walked alongside Lucius.
"What do you mean?"I said, as the servants opened the doors for us to leave the dining room.
"I mean that the Headmaster failed, Aristea. But don't get mad. Next time, I'll handle i-"
"Wait, what? You mean that Vespertite...is still alive?!"
"Shh, don't get angry, please. You're ruining your pretty face..."
He shot me a smile. His black hair was beautiful, and his eyes, the colour of the night sky. He was so pretty, his beauty made me almost forget about Vespertite.
"You mean that..."
"Yes. The dude the Headmaster sent with the troops to kill her has failed."
"Tell me, Lucius. How can one fucking person lay waste on an entire army, and also kill the most prominent student at the Odeon?"
I was nearly there, nearly there for a nervous breakdown. How. Again, Vespertite slips past my grasp.
"Oh, she didn't. They disobeyed your orders and aligned themselves with her instead."
That's it, I'm killing her myself.
"She did WHAT?! But that's even WORSE than killing the entire army!"
"I know, Aristea, I know, but we cannot do anything right now. I heard the Emperor has sent her a message via mail. So let's wait, patiently."
I just stood there, in a corner, hearing the news of another one of my defeats.
I rubbed my chin in annoyance and clicked my tongue.
At least I took my medication, otherwise I would have probably killed my poor boyfriend. I have anger issues. Princesses have it hard too, you know?
He looked at me, and just smiled.
"A goodbye kiss, maybe? To make you feel better?"
I looked at him in the eye, definitely not in the mood.
"No, Lucius. Not now." I walked away from him.
"Aw, you're so cold sometimes."
●●●
All the way that I've been walking to my room, I have resisted the urge to just murder someone. Servants, courtesans, friends, it didn't matter. I made it all the way inside my room, with me breathing heavily, shutting the door behind me.
I need to relax. I need to relax or I'll do something stupid.
"Ok, take heavy breaths. Take it easy, Aristea. Take it easy."
I took a deep breath and exhaled it, a smile forming at my face.
"It's fine, Aristea...next time you see her, you're taking care of her with your own hands! That's what you get for depending on others. Don't you say it yourself? People are stupid."
I sat down at my bed; my room has flags of the Empire hanging around the walls, with a coat of arms and the most expensive furniture I have ever seen. The size of the room is the same as an entire Ballroom, an entire Hall.
It was grandiose and luxurious. Just how I liked it.
I pictured my dear sister, exiled in a castle at the frozen land of Gelida, alone, freezing from the cold...it warmed my soul.
"Wow. It has been a while since I saw your face."
What.
I cannot understand. No. This is simply a hallucination. My smile, which was cracked, forced itself on my mouth. This time, I took an extra load of medication, gulping it down quickly, using a glass of water.
It was refreshing.
"What are you doing, Aristea? Don't tell me you're still on medication? Oh, my dear sister..."
No, this cannot be. I was afraid to turn my face the other way. This is impossible. No, Aristea. The medication just hasn't taken effect yet. It isn't instant. Don't freak out, and face whatever scares you the most. It is impossible for her to be inside here. You know it.
I turned my body the other way, facing my nemesis.
"Ah, that's more like it! Hasn't mum taught you about the essence of human communication? You look the other in their eyes when you talk to them!"
A friendly voice, its words which it housed, sounded more like a mockery than their didactic tone.
"Vespertite. Long time no see. How...are you in here?"I said, keeping my sanity fortified for the time being.
"Oh, this? Yeah, 'tis but a hologram."said my sister. She hasn't changed. Her face, the way she talks, this sort of academic character of her...it all remains the same. And it makes me mad.
She should be inside her room, crawling in her bed, waiting for the inevitable death to come by my hand!
"A...hologram? I see...it seems you have...progressed quite much with your studies."
"Oh no, I knew how to make a hologram since we were little. Don't you remember when I tried to teach the spell to you so that we could communicate secretly?"
"O-oh...I don't. I don't remember, no."
"Yes, I did try to teach it to you. But you were so stupid, not even with a lobotomy would you ever learn."
My eyes twitched. I remained silent. She walked with her hologram close to me, like an angel of death.
"What do you want from me?"
She laughed. I haven't ever seen her laugh like that. It was arrogant. A mocking, hysteric laugh. I shuddered.
"Oh, me? I don't want anything from you. I just called to say hello to my dear sister."
"Don't fuck with me!"I said, launching the cup I held in my hand, which housed previously my medication, at the hologram of Vespertite. It went right through her.
"You seem like you're angry. Why? Did something happen to you?"
Her evil, sardonic smile, and her snickers reached my eyes and ears.
"Listen here, you little cunt."
I walked closer to her hologram, face to face with her. She didn't even blink, and stayed there, with the same smile.
"If you weren't behind this hologram, we both know you would have shit your pants by now."
"What, why would that happen to me? I would run to hug my dear sister. We've been so long apart..."
Her hologram approached me, and surrounded her two hands around my back, giving me a virtual hug.
She was disgusting. Suddenly, the sound of her Surger penentrated my ears, making me spring, taking my own Surger from my own belt.
On guard, I saw Vespertite laugh elegantly, waving her hand around.
"You never disappoint, Aristea! Just a flick of my wand, and you're already in your battle position!"
"Do you think this is a game, Vespertite!?"
"Yes, yes I do. You're the best toy so far. Lady Ylva proved to be disappointing. Her friend, Artemisia, is one of my followers. And Aurelia...I can tell her to die and she'll do it blindly."
"You're sick."
"Ha, look who's talking! The girl who is taking her medication to not snap at someone and blow their heads off!"
My chuckles overcame me, with Vespertite looking at me, with one of those smiles of hers.
"You're the villain in this story, Sister! You're the one who kills! You're the one who's exiled! You're the one who cheats! You're the one who manipulates, the one who destroys, the one who conspires!"
My sister paused, analysing my words carefully, before taking a deep breath, opening her mouth to speak.
"Yes, that's right. I'm the Villain in this story. Hell, I've always been the Villain. But villains tend to be cooler than the heroes, right? The only difference is that you're not the Hero in this telltale, Aristea. You're not even the Villain."
I clenched my fists, and my teeth.
"You're nothing, Aristea. You've always been nothing, you know it yourself."
"Shut up..."
"...from the times we were learning magic..."
"Shut...up..."
"...to when we were competing in athlopediae...you were nothing. Null. Zero."
"I've worked to be where I am! You cannot belittle that, so just shut it!"
"Talent always beats hard work, Aristea. You're nothing. No matter how hard you work, you can never surpass those who are naturally gifted. Naturally smart. Naturally superior."
"You're insane...you're actually a freak...all along you were..."
"I'm going to nip at your power little by little. No matter how many Assassins you send to kill me, no matter how much influence you have inside the Palace, no matter how popular you are, it is all going to go away oh so soon."
My lips trembled. I started walking backwards without thinking much about it. Yes, I am scared. There's nothing wrong admitting that.
Her mouth moved, spitting knives all the way to my heart. I was slowly falling to the ground, after touching the wall with my back.
"You should be thankful. All this time, being inferior to me and all...I know you hate it. I really wonder why you aren't in an asylum or 2 feet underground yet. I really wonder how you didn't finish it."
I couldn't listen to her anymore. I chose not to. But still, I felt that she was reaching for my soul nonetheless.
"Aristea...you know when the time comes, you can't do anything. Helpless, looking as my talents and power only increase as I get older."
I felt my head being dizzy. My pulse has reached a level where my body just couldn't take it anymore and triggered a self-defense mechanism for me to calm down.
"Bye, Aristea...sweet dreams~"she said, with an angelic voice, bearing the musical notes of Thalia, one of the Greek Muses.
I closed my eyes, handling my body to Orpheus. Let's just hope that Thanatos doesn't come by anytime soon.