Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Should i?
"Zara, you must attend the ball. The entire duration."
"I will, mother," Zara said, the annoyance in her tone barely concealed.
"And by entire duration, I mean exactly that. Not half. Not most of it."
"Uh...well..." Zara hesitated.
"I will be informing Maria to be strict about it as well."
"B-But mother...."
"I will not hear your excuses."
Zara pressed her lips together, cheeks flushing red with the concentrated fury of someone who had already lost and knew it.
---
She returned to her room and immediately buried her face in her pillow and screamed.
Maria stood beside her, expression perfectly level.
The screaming continued for a few seconds, then stopped.
"Should we begin selecting your dress for the ball?" Maria asked.
Zara’s head shot up from the pillow. "How inconsiderate can you possibly be? I am in the depths of sorrow here. My own mother has levied repercussions upon me and you stand there , unbothered?"
"Lady Zara."
Maria’s tone shifted. Just slightly.
Zara went serious immediately.
"I honestly have no interest in your feelings on the matter at this moment." Maria turned toward the wardrobe. "Now. Let us choose your dress."
Zara sat on the bed, staring at her back, mouth slightly open.
The betrayal was profound.
-------
"Since when did you have a flower stall?" Dana moved slowly along the display, bending to smell each one in turn.
Beatrix sprinkled water across another row. "Just since yesterday. And let me tell you , it’s been wonderful."
Dana straightened. "I knew you liked flowers, but I didn’t know it was enough to open a stall over."
Beatrix smiled. "It’s just part time for now. Something to do. I’ll probably go back to my actual work in a few weeks." She said it with a smile, but something else sat underneath it.
"What is your work, Sister?" Dana asked.
"Oh, just some business here and there. Nothing special. Not very interesting at all." Beatrix waved the question away lightly.
Percy could see she wasn’t comfortable and stepped in. "How many customers have you had so far?"
Beatrix turned to him and answered with a wide, bright smile.
"None at all."
"None?"
"None."
Dana looked at her, then swept her gaze across the entire stall , flowers arranged with obvious care, every bloom healthy and well-kept.
"But everything here is so beautiful."
Beatrix shifted slightly, her tone going a touch awkward. "Well. I did have some customers. I just didn’t sell to any of them."
Both Dana and Percy turned to her.
"What?" they said together.
Beatrix stepped forward and raised one hand by way of explanation. "I love these flowers so much that I simply couldn’t bring myself to part with any of them."
Dana rubbed her chin seriously. "That seems reasonable."
"It does?" Percy thought.
"What exactly is the point of opening a stall if you won’t sell anything?" he asked.
Beatrix pouted. "What would you know about raising something and then having to give it away? It hurts to part with them."
"They’re plants", Percy thought.
He decided not to say it out loud. For everyone’s sake, including his own.
"Enough about me. Are you two here shopping for something?"
Dana nodded. "Tea leaves."
"Oh, tea leaves? I know a wonderful place just around the corner."
Percy’s ears perked up immediately. He trusted Beatrix’s judgment on anything tea related without question , since she made it too well for him not to. Dana seemed to share the opinion entirely, already looking at Beatrix with open expectation.
Beatrix grinned. "Shall I take you there?"
"Yes, yes," Dana chimed.
"But what about your stall?"
Beatrix waved a hand. "No need to worry. Since I’m not selling anything I can close up whenever I like."
"Well, if it works for you," Percy said. "We’d appreciate the help. You know your tea."
"Follow me, folks."
She shut the stall down with impressive speed and set off, Dana immediately falling into step beside her. Percy smiled and followed along..
And stopped completely.
Dana turned around first. "Brother?"
Beatrix turned a moment after. "Percy? What happened?"
Percy smiled. "I just remembered I have work today. Since Beatrix is here, could you two go on without me?"
Dana looked up at the sky. Both suns still sat early in their arc. "Now?"
"Yes."
Dana looked at him a moment longer, then turned to Beatrix. "No worries, let’s go."
Percy waited until he heard it, then immediately broke into the crowd.
"It’s here... no it’s moving"
He pushed faster, weaving through the morning foot traffic, hat low, until the sensation pulled tight and sudden directly in front of him.
He slowed and drifted toward an apple stall, tilting his hat down and letting his gaze work the area casually.
A man stepped out of an alley and disappeared into the crowd.
He tried to use his Oath on the man but the face was too covered and the crowd too thick around him. After a moment he gave up and stood still.
"Should I check the alley? Or wait for the others?"
He turned it over.
"The person is probably gone. But if they’re still watching I could be walking into something. I should report back immediately."
He had almost decided.
"Are you buying, mister?"
Percy surfaced from his thoughts and looked at the apple vendor watching him expectantly. He waved a hand apologetically.
"Forget it. I’ll check quickly."
He moved toward the alley entrance at an easy pace, keeping it natural, hands loose. Once inside he found a turn and followed it without hesitating, moving deeper until the alley ended at a wall.
Dead end.
He crouched anyway and examined the base of the wall where the ground looked disturbed. He picked up a nearby stick and probed the soil carefully.
A sensation reached him.
He stood and turned , his body against him.
Three figures stood blocking the way back, all of them hazy at the edges. One had a revolver raised and leveled directly at him.
Percy recognised him to be the vendor just now .
"Halt. Do not step any further forward."
Percy heard every word clearly.
His legs stepped forward anyway.
"Fuuuuck"
