Once she was left alone, Lily found it harder to focus on things beside the dress she was wearing. Even all alone in the room, she could still feel the phantom of Riko's hands around her neck. The way the dress fell off her shoulders felt exposing, left the taste of her own blood in her mouth as she slowed her breathing-
Stop. He wasn't here. She was safe. Riko was dead, nowhere near her, and she was in control of herself.
So why did it feel like he was still watching her every move? Why did she still feel like the little girl dressed up in revealing clothes and so much makeup her face felt like it was cracking? All just to hide the fact that she was so young?
Wolf managed to find what he was looking for, but he didn't leave the room just yet. "Lily's dressin' up, by the orders of dear ol' Mother," he drawled, rolling his eyes. Rhydar slipped on his shirt and looked over at his brother. "How would you know?" he asked slowly. Wolf caught onto his meaning and stuck his tongue out at him, crossing his arms over his chest. "I delivered the dress, gave Yvonne a small break. Had to help with the strings a bit. Nothing," he added quickly as Rhydar narrowed his eyes and started to turn, "inappropriate or uncomfortable for her. At least not knowingly. I didn't see anything, promise. I'm not after the love of your life, Rhydar. Trust me. She's not my type." Rhydar huffed and found no lie in anything his brother said, then finished getting dressed.
Breathe. She just had to breathe. That was all. Lily leaned against the bed post, one hand pressed to her mouth and the other finding that awful slit in her dress, the only plus side to it being that her knife was in easy reach. So that was what she grabbed, the knife she'd named after her eldest sister. Daisy, I need your strength. The steadfast one, the calm one. The 'always there when you call' sister. The knife that had killed Riko. Holding it brought up a different kind of memory, one full of blood as red as the dress she was wearing and of screams that weren't her own, but those were easier to quell. Holding the knife soothed the older memories. Holding the knife made her feel safe.
"I'm going to get Lily," Rhydar said, but Wolf shook his head and grabbed the back of his brother's jacket and hauled him back. "What the hell?" Rhydar seethed, earning a disinterested look in return. "Mother's going to want you early and alone. This is for you, remember? Cinthia will get her." Rhydar huffed and shook off Wolf's grip, then led his brother out of his room and towards the ballroom.
The female side of Wolf wasn't too far off from them, striding out of her room with her hair magically straightened and in her green gown. Cinthia's fingers were covered with decorative silver claws, a new thing she was gifted by Kora and was quite fond of after finding out it lessened the chances of men trying to paw at her. She knocked on Lily's door, announcing herself, and let herself in after a few moments. "Lily," she greeted, "I'd rather avoid the crowded clusterfuck of people, and figured I'd go with you to give you an escort." She held up her fingers with a straight face as she added, "I can claw a bitch if she decides you're not worth my brother's time."
Lily jumped at Cin's sudden arrival, first surprised, and then flooded with a sense of relief. Something else to focus on. "You don't need to do that, you know." She said, her voice shaking for just a split second at the beginning of her words, before evening out back into it's normal quiet but musical sound. "Other people are going to talk to him, and should someone start something, I can just walk away. I would really rather not cause a scene this time(oh you sweet summer child)." Either way, her lips quirked up slightly. Cinthia's presence was a different kind of soothing than Rhydar's, more reminiscent of Wolf's, with a bit more chaotic energy. "You look stunning, as usual."
"Thank you," Cinthia said, staring at her hands and clicking the claws together thoughtfully. One should be concerned about what she was thinking. She flicked her gaze over to Lily and eyed her up and down. "My mother's doing, I presume? I suppose she's picked up on Rhydar's fondness for you. More of a curse than a privilege, I should warn. Either way, I'd rather get going." She curled her fingers in a 'come hither' motion as she turned, then looked over her shoulder, blue eyes bright with sharp intelligence, "And Lily? There's always a scene, no matter the cause." A slash of a smile. "It's always more fun being the instigator."
"Your mother's doing, yes. I would not have picked a dress anything like this, without orders from the Queen." Lily said, tucking her knife away again. She was painfully reminded of the damned dress she was wearing, and her throat closed up for a moment again. Gladly, she followed Cinthia, arching a brow at the princess's words. "Not the kind of instigation I tend to find myself partaking in. And definitely not when you would rather not draw attention to yourself."
"I drew attention to myself the moment I was born," Cinthia said plainly, thoughtlessly clicking her hand ornaments together as they exited Lily's room and walked down the halls to the ballroom. "Might as well make use of it and remind the nobles why I even bother showing up to the council meetings. Sharp blade, I always say, can never amount to a sharp tongue. Both brutal, but one is far more elegant and, more often than not, productive." She smirked and looked over at Lily. "And the looks on their faces are much more entertaining."
"Knife or words, both still draw some surprised looks if used right." Lily muttered, not exactly meant for Cinthia to hear, but not hiding her words, either. "In this situation, maybe the words are the best course of action." She agreed, growing quiet for a moment before opening her mouth like she wanted to ask Cinthia something. It took her a few tries, but she managed to speak. "Can I-can I see the ornaments? Like…just see your hand real quick?"
Cinthia rose a curious brow, but she held her closest hand out to Lily. As the girl was on her right side, it was the burned hand she brandished. Her face had an illusion over it, hiding the marks as always. But beneath her mostly covering clothing, her arm was consumed by the fire's brand, as well as her side, parts of her stomach, and some patches on her thigh. It wasn't her proudest ornament, but she wasn't completely ashamed of it, either. "They were a gift from Kora. She knows I'm fond of being armed at all times, so she figured I might as well do it in style."
Lily's gaze caught on the scars as she carefully, gently supported Cinthia's hand to keep it steady, but she didn't say anything. Not about the scars, at least. Why would she, when she had her own burn scar to be ashamed of, her own many scars that she kept hidden from the world? "Well, that goal was accomplished. The silver-work on these is…kind of incredible, honestly. They look so sharp, too. Can I touch the tip of one of them?" She asked, eyes flickering questioningly up to Cinthia as she did.
Cinthia smiled softly and nodded. "Go ahead." She was thankful for Lily's carefulness, as it minimized the chances of Cinthia getting consumed by her own Seer's gift. It helped that she sort of knew the girl, but not a lot. "I think Kora has a friend that she goes to for things like this, beauty lined with danger. It's her signature, really." Cinthia snorted and tipped her head to the side. " 'A maiden with talons,' she called me a few years ago. Seems she wanted to make it a reality."
“It suits you.” Lily said softly, lightly tapping the tip of one of the claws. Her lips quirked up into a small smile at the sharpness of them, and she pressed the pad of her finger a bit harder, just until it pricked the skin, to see how much pressure it took to do so. Then she released Cinthia’s hand, letting her hands drop back to her sides. “Dangerously beautiful. Like a desert viper. Or a hawk.” She said, smiling at Cinthia as they walked. “You’re a fan of sharp things, right?”
Cinthia nodded, tilting her head the other way—an action identical to that of her twin. "How could you tell?" she drawled, amused. She laced her hands together at her waist, letting the long sleeves of her dress cover them both. "Why do you ask?" she inquired seriously with a small shake of her head. She had been called both—a viper and a hawk—by different peoples, different empires and kingdoms. It was a strange thing that Lily should pick those particular creatures to describe Cinthia. Then again, it had to be obvious if multiple people picked up on it.
“Because I have something I’d like to show you later.” Lily said, arms swishing at her side. The movement was flawless, no change in sight, looking exactly like somebody just lightly swinging their arms. But next thing, her knife was in her hand, catching the light on the shining blade briefly. “A set. Each of them looks similar to this, but slightly different. I take them everywhere.” They had become a part of her, extensions of her soul. Each named after a member of the family she couldn’t find.
Cinthia rose a brow, impressed as she tracked Lily's flawless movements. Makes me wonder why she was here in the first place, she mused, but that was all the further she got with her speculation. There wasn't any need to go any further in that investigation, at least not now. She'd still have that information tucked away for later should the need arise. "You certainly know your blades," she commended, her nod just a slight dip of her chin.
"I was taught by someone with a dangerous knowledge of them." Lily said, shrugging a shoulder slightly as she cupped the blade in her hand gently, before spinning the knife. She held it out, handle first, to Cinthia. Offering her the chance to examine it up close, and giving her an opportunity most people would never see. She was placing her trust in Cinthia. You've been doing that a lot lately. Trusting other people.
Cinthia rose a brow, surprised by Lily's trust. She certainly wouldn't let anyone touch her beloved daggers, even her twin. She took the offered blade, however, spinning it through her fingers, twisting it this way and that to admire and examine the blade. "You keep these sharp?" she questioned, glancing over at Lily with a cocked head. She would've tested it herself, but she had the silver claws on and was too lazy to take them off. Well, that and because she wanted to hear it from Lily herself. If she really knew her stuff, it wouldn't need to be checked.
Lily nodded once, wrapping her arms around her own waist for something to do with them. "Always. I sharpen them every two nights, to keep from wearing the blade a bit too much. Even if they don't get used, the sharpening is….calming. Like meditation." She said, fingers tapping on her arm before she shifted them, reaching up to brush her hair out of her face. "Plus, it's nice knowing that they're sharp enough to slice cleanly, should the need ever arise."
Cinthia flipped the blade in the air, catching it by the blade. The silver ornaments scraped along the metal, though her grip was light and careful enough to not cause a scratch. "You take good care of your blades. I'm impressed. Now the question is: can you take care of my brother with the same diligence?" Her lips quirked up in a slight smirk, though it was small and barely there. "Gods know he doesn't take care of himself, especially when he's got his mind set on something else. Like a shiny diamond or ring."
The mention of Rhydar had Lily's cheeks warming, but brought a small smile to her face as she huffed a laugh. "Rhydar is capable of taking care of himself. It's more a matter of…teaching him that he should. But yes. I have no plans on letting him get hurt, or anything, not as long as I'm around." She said, gaze moving to the ground as she smiled softly. "I would do anything I could to keep him safe. He deserves that much, even if I can't give him all he deserves."
Cinthia listened to Lily with genuine curiosity. She's seen and heard similar sentiments between her brother and sister-in-law. She couldn't imagine herself wanting to look out for someone like that, couldn't picture herself housing a desire to protect someone so fiercely. Years of protecting herself from others had likely doused that desire, even if she did want to protect her people from as much cruelty as possible. But that was different, it was a people, not a person. She wasn't devoting herself to one particular person. Why would someone do that? It went against the natural law of self-preservation, something she's far too interested in maintaining.
Well…
Her eyes flitted up at a familiar set of footsteps, a smile flickering over her lips. He always seems to know how to find me. Cinthia handed Lily her dagger back just as Demitri rounded the corner up ahead, stopping and waiting for the two ladies to approach. The head spy was clothed in all black, as per usual, with a hood pulled over his head to shadow most of his face. His matching smile, however, was fully perceptible as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall. "That's quite a bit of leather you have going on there," Cinthia commented, lifting her head and angling it in almost a playful manner. Demitri pulled back the hood so his fluffy black hair was free to spill into his equally black eyes. "Queen's orders. Trying a new fashion, she says. More of a hassle, I say." There was a significant gleam to his eyes whenever he saw the princess, one the—usually—keen girl never seemed to notice, as well an ease no one else could provide.
For Lily, it was a mix of things. While she and Cinthia's experiences could have resulted in similar priorities, Lily's had changed. Lily never wanted to see another person go through anything close to what she had, years of captivity and horror leaving her broken, but still determined. If Cinthia had voiced her thoughts, she would have understood completely. It made sense, and Lily almost found herself wondering sometimes if she should be a little more worried about her own well being over others. But she didn't think she could change that aspect of herself even if she tried.
The arrival of the spy had Lily slightly on guard again, as her knife found it's way back into it's sheath with a smooth and subtle motion. Just because he was a 'friend' of Cinthia's, didn't mean he would appreciate someone other than the princess carrying weapons. She watched the two of them interact, a brow arched just slightly. How Cinthia never noticed the obvious cues was a mystery to her. The way the two looked at each other….almost reminded her of the way she looked at Rhydar, and he probably looked back. What is it going to take for her to take notice?
Demitri looked over at Lily and bowed his head some. While he was technically a member of the palace and a particularly high rank among his comrades, Lily was a guest of the Queen's—and incredibly close to the Crown Prince. He knew about their relationship, just how close they were. It was his job to know all the secrets of the palace, of the kingdom. So it was no surprise that he knew exactly who Lily was. And that knowledge lent to the knowledge that she was of higher priority than he, thus demanding the proper respects.
"My lady," he greeted Lily, then stood up straight and offered a gloved hand to Cinthia. The princess snorted and ignored it, wrapping her arm around his instead. "Wolf, Magnus, Rhydar, and Kora are all in the ballroom. The guests are stuck at the gates as of this moment, as the guards are not letting them in due to a little…distraction." He gave no indication as to what the distraction was, but Cinthia seemed to know what he was implying and smacked his arm with a hissed scolding. He chuckled and continued, ignoring the princess's tongue-lashing. "The Queen is going to be fashionably late, as the usual, so you all are free to raid the food as you please. Ah," he added as he remembered something, looking directly at Lily, "Kora would like to speak with you when we get there. You two have already met, and it's not exactly hard to pick her out of a crowd, so I should hope you can find your way to her."
"Oh. Uh-I believe I can find her just fine, yes." Lily said, nodding as she fiddled with her hands. She returned the greeting(though not calling him a lady), but that ease and casualness she'd showed with Cinthia just moments ago had locked a good chunk of itself away, not quite sure about Demetri, even if she did think Cinthia needed a pop to the head to make her realize what was going on. "Do you-possibly know why she needs to speak with me?" She asked, tilting her head slightly and returning to playing with her hair.
While she was confused, as to what this issue keeping the other guests was, she didn't ask. She would find out, most likely. She was more curious about why she was being sought out, by someone as important as Kora no less.
