He tensed and turned away, lips pursed in a thin line. Rowan swallowed, his voice smaller than I'd ever heard it before when he spoke, "I–"
"Oh, Jia! Thank goodness you're alright!" Calista appeared in my vision, her comforting vanilla scent washed over me. She grabbed my arm and tried to wrench me free– perhaps for a hug?– but Rowan's grasp remained strong.
"No," he muttered, so low that only I could hear him. "Not again."
"Lady Jia." With an expression like he was sucking on a lemon, Calix glared down at Rowan. "Do you know this man?"
"Y—yeah, he's an old friend." A headache started to split my skull and I winced, pressing the area.
"Um, excuse me?" A quiet voice piqued up. The second male lead. "I think I can help."
Calista squinted in suspicion, forming a sort of barrier between me and the man who spoke. "And who are you?"
"My name is Eric." He bowed, the sun-kissed strands of his hair swept over his brow. "I believe the lady requires a cool, refreshing drink and some space. Erm, if the gentleman could please let go of her so she may stand?"
Rowan hesitated, the panic in his eyes still hadn't subsided, but his grip relented. Using Calista for support, I pulled myself up and tried to quell the sudden nausea which swept over me.
"I'll go get something for you," Calista whispered, giving my hand a comforting squeeze. "You like the strawberry drink, correct?" At this point, I think she's just trying to kill me.
"Oh for heaven's sake," Rowan snapped, pushing her away. "Are you still not aware that she is allergic to strawberries? Or are you so far up your own—"
"Hey," Calix cut in, his tone as sharp as freshly cut steel. He gripped the hilt of his sword. "Watch what you say next."
Rowan opened his mouth, no doubt to say some scathing remark, but I stepped on his foot and shot him a warning look. This would have all been for naught if he got himself killed now.
He flinched, then his shoulders dropped in reluctant defeat. "I apologise, Lady Calista, if you felt like my words were harsh. I was simply worried for my friend."
"And I don't feel like eating anything right now." I turned to Eric, choosing my next words with care. "Thank you for your kind words, Lord Eric."
"Oh, please, it's just Eric." A slight flush crept up his neck as he adjusted his thin-framed spectacles. This man's looks are bad for my heart. "I have no official title yet."
"Yet?" I feigned curiosity, squeezing Rowan's arm.
"Oh, um, I'm hoping to take the civil services exam this month and become an advisor in the palace." He stopped, glancing at Calista with a slightly awestruck expression. Oh boy. "Actually, I was looking for a reputable clothing store so that I could make a good first impression, but I am rather lost. Would you be so kind as to point me in the right direction, please?"
"Oh!" I gestured to my right. "Our esteemed Lord Calix here leads the Royal—" A hard jab in the ribs from Rowan. "— I mean, Imperial Army. There is no one in the whole city who could help you better than he can."
"Is that so?" Eric muttered, still not taking his eyes off Calista and clearly enamoured with her beauty. Careful dude, your inner creep is showing. "I was hoping the lady could show me around? I believe we have... much to talk about."
Wait, do they already know each other?
Calista brushed her golden hair over her shoulders and let out a woeful sigh. "As much as I would love to help you, I'm afraid I need to stay with my dear friend. We also need to go shopping, after all."
Now, my legs turned to jelly for an entirely different reason. "S–shopping?"
With her glittering azure eyes and a peal of laughter sounding sweeter than honey, she turned to me. "Yes, Jia, for the upcoming Imperial ball!"
Ding!
A red sign hovered just above Calista's right shoulder, bathing her face in an eerie glow. All the moisture evaporated from my mouth and dismay slammed over me like someone had doused me in icy water.
THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING
NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU NEXT TIME
"R–Rowan," I whispered, taking a step back and dragging him with me.
"I see it too," he muttered, face pale as if he'd seen a ghost. "This isn't possible."
Calista frowned and tilted her head. "I'm sorry?"
"I would love to go shopping!" I blurted out, darting forward to clasp her hands in my sweaty ones. "Lord Calix, you can meet us at the, um, at the best boutique once you've helped Eric."
"Do not give me orders," he hissed, his bottom lip stuck out like a petulant child. He turned and snapped his fingers at Eric, his nose crinkled in faint disdain. "This way."
As they walked away– Eric trailed behind a rather haughty Calix in a way that reminded me of a lost puppy– I muttered to Rowan, "Follow them."
He pursed his lips, his fingers skimmed my right arm and he shook his head. "No, you might get into trouble again."
I clicked my tongue against my teeth, eyeing Calista who was hovering on the edge of our conversation and clearly trying to eavesdrop. "Suit yourself. Calista, where do you want to go?" Actually, this will be better. I need to question him about what I saw.
***
Rowan should be considered a master at avoiding difficult conversations.
Every time I tried to bring up my suspicions of us knowing each other from before, he would find some excuse and dodged the question. First, it was by charging into the first boutique and charming the store assistant to drop her current clients and help us. Then, it was by shoving book after book filled with detailed annotations of the most gorgeous dresses I'd ever seen into my arms.
He had whisked Calista away to the plush seating area and showered her with a dozen compliments and advice on the dress to choose. Used to being doted on, she was happy to indulge in his adulations and a gentle blush would form over her cheeks at his words. Even when she had gone to change into one of the dresses, Rowan insisted on personally altering and choosing the designs with the assistant, not even turning his head when I called for him.
It left such a sour taste in my mouth that I kicked the nearest cardboard box full of clothes. The toe of my shoe broke through the material and, in my slight panic, I twisted it around and pushed it against the wall to hide the mark.
"Jia, how do I look?"
I closed my eyes for a brief moment before spinning on my heels with a beaming smile painted on my face. "Wow, Calista, you look wonderful!"
Of course she did. The crew had taken great delight in curling her hair in an intricate updo and dusting her face with enough makeup to ensure she stands out, but not so much that society would buzz about her being a courtesan. Her baby blue gown was poofed up and laden with a thin layer of lace which had a few white butterflies stitched on the cover and a chain of pearls encircled her waist. The hard bodice was of a slightly darker shade than the rest of the dress, but it served to accentuate her striking looks.
Noble, elegant, perfect— all the qualities demanded of the female lead.
Rowan clapped his hands. "You look absolutely incredible! I fear so many people will turn their heads and mistake you for being part of the Imperial family." The other workers also churned out compliment after compliment, almost as if it had been rehearsed.
Annoyance twisted in my gut and I kicked the box again, leaving a much larger hole this time. There's absolutely no need for him to lay it on this thick.
"What about you, my lady?" The store assistant– whose name I'd already forgotten– popped up by my shoulder. Her green eyes were slanted in slight disapproval as she noticed the damage.
"Erm, I'll take this one!" I pulled out the dress from the box. Fortunately, it was quite pretty with a long, purple skirt and elegant bodice. I would look like a toad next to Calista, so I didn't see the point in dressing up.
A fragmented memory rose to the surface of my brain like methane rising from a stagnant pond.
She leaned over and held a long ribbon to my, at the time, brown hair and a wide smile curved her lips upwards. "Purple is definitely your colour."
I couldn't breathe. She was so close to me that I could smell her faint, jasmine perfume. I managed a jerky nod and tight smile, praying she couldn't hear the furious beating of my heart or see the blush warming my cheeks.
I bunched the silken material between my fingers, a wave of grief tangled with anger spread from the centre of my chest to the rest of my body. I haven't thought about Freya in years.
"No," Rowan's firm voice cut through the fog and I was dragged back to reality. "I think this one– no, the other one– will look better on her. Here, let me give it to her."
He pressed one, which was the colour of fresh blood, into my arms with a shy smile and blushed. "You once told me that red makes you feel more confident, Mango."
***********************
Total word count: 15 125
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