Reve:
Reve sat quietly, birds singing back and forth from the garden, the sun bathing everything in a soft warm glow as the queen rambled on, all the ladies listening, or at least pretending to. Reve was particularly good at pretending, faking her nods in all the right places in the story even as her eyes remained glued on the bird perched on the balcony outside. She glanced towards Gail, exchanging a pained look before she looked away again, coughing to hide her smile.
"Oh, and can you believe it? The crown prince of Prynn coming here just to see my daughter? Her father and I are practically bursting with joy!" the queen announced loudly enough to disrupt anyone's daydreaming. Several others whispered congratulations, most everyone except Gail gasping appropriately at the news.
Reve picked up her teacup to hide her own scowl, eyes connecting with Gail's again, both of them were just as furious by this news.
"That's not even confirmed yet, mother," Gail stated through gritted teeth.
"Don't be ridiculous, why else would he be here? What else could benefit him enough to want to ally with us?" the queen questioned patiently, her voice slow as if Gail was simply an ignorant child.
"You know people say he has a lover, right?" Gail continued.
Reve choked on her tea, several others having the same reaction, coughing as the queen raised her eyebrow, fist clenching.
"Gail, let us not spread rumors about our esteemed guest," she rebuked coldly.
The other nobles ladies glanced around, laughing awkwardly.
"I am sure she is just nervous, it's not everyday a prince is going to propose to you, right Veronica?" Lady Dubois asked, smiling broadly as if this was all anyone could ever want in life.
Reve despised her.
"I'm sure Gail is ecstatic for such an opportunity, your majesty. Who wouldn't be thankful for such an honor to be bestowed upon them?" Gwendolyn Dubois asked loudly, smiling like a fox at the queen.
She was as bad as her mother, both of them snakes only after the power that came with being close to the queen.
"Bitch," Reve mouthed towards Gail.
Gwendolyn had always despised them, always competing for no reason, yet still daring to curry favor with Gail's mother at every opportunity. Reve wished she could kill her, it would not be terribly hard, it was not as if Gwendolyn had ever fought for anything in her perfect life. It was easy to make it look like an accident, but those were not proper thoughts. No, she could not think of that sort of thing, it was wrong. She knew it was wrong.
"Yes, thank you Gwendolyn, you're right," the queen said, giving Gail a disapproving look.
"Do I truly have no say in this," Gail muttered angrily.
Reve was not close enough to warn her against complaining, forced to stare at her with a look she hoped said to shut up.
"What was that?" the queen asked.
"Do I not have any say in this? Is my fate to die unhappy as long as it benefits you and father?" she demanded, glaring down at her lap.
"You are marrying a prince! Do you know how many people would kill for such an honor?"
"Poor girl, she will understand this more when she is older, don't worry, Veronica."
"Will I? Will I truly understand why I must sell myself away, or will society simply suck all the life out of me until I do not care where I go and with whom I end up with? Is that what I must be, a lifeless husk? A puppet?"
"Gail Laurent," the queen warned.
"I guess none of you would care," she whispered, but her eyes were glued only on Reve as she stood, chair falling backwards and clattering to the floor.
"Have a lovely lunch ladies."
Gail stalked out of the room, not looking back even as the queen seethed in anger. Reve should go after her, she knew she should, she needed to, etiquette be damned, she knew that jab was directed at her, at her own inaction.
"Would you mind if I try speaking to her, your majesty?" she asked.
"Yes, go ahead Reve, talk some sense into her. If only she could be more like you, someone with a firm head on their shoulders. Dreaming will do her no good," the queen muttered.
Dreaming would do her as much good as it had done to Reve, but still, she could not bring herself to agree. The day when Gail realized that, when she went obediently into her mother's plans was inevitable, but she still mourned that day, mourned a day when they were separated for good.
"Reve!" a voice called from down the hallway.
She turned, pasting on a smile before recognizing Farris leaning against the wall lazily, grinning at her as if he knew more than he should, which was fair, he did.
"What?" she asked.
"I just saw your girlfriend, she looked awfully upset," he answered, shrugging.
"And?"
"Oh c'mon, don't be so cold! We're friends after all!" he said, walking closer and taking her hand, leading her gently as any betrothed would.
"He hasn't said anything else about it, I'll try getting you to closer soon, okay?" she questioned, yanking her hand loose.
"Thanks, love. Now go comfort her, apologize for whatever it is you did," he suggested.
"You assume it was me," she muttered, walking down the stairs.
She found Gail in her usual hiding palace in the gardens, knees tucked to her chest as she sat surrounded by a rainbow of colors and smells, several butterflies perched on her finger. Felix was sitting beside her, immediately perking up as he saw Reve.
"How was the rest, how pissed was she scale of one to ten?" he asked, standing to hug her before sitting again.
"She was pretty mad," she admitted, sitting on the bench above Gail.
"Of course she was mad, someone dragged her out of the clouds and addressed her bullshit!" Gail exclaimed, scaring the butterflies away.
"I'm sorry Gail, truly."
"But you won't do anything about it truly, you think the same as all of them. You think I'm going to realize how stupid I am and I'll get married and be happy and live happily ever after. That's what you're doing right? Running from standing up for yourself or doing anything that actually matters, marrying some random dumbass your parents set up for you, right?" Gail questioned, her words biting into Reve's heart, yet she could not refute them, they were all true after all.
"Gail, you know she can't do anything about this," Felix whispered.
Gail took a deep breath, looking down.
"I know, I know, I'm sorry, I'm just frustrated. The queen won't shut up about prince what's-his-face," she mumbled.
"Cassius Dawnfire," Reve said.
"I'm sure my lovely sister would happily take your place in marrying him, she too won't shut up," Felix stated sadly.
"Good, let her," Gail replied.
Reve could not help but think what a curse it would be to have anyone marry Gwendolyn.
"She would brag so much it's not worth it, let's just kill him," she suggested, immediately regretting the words.
"Murdering the crown prince of Prynn, how very ladylike of you," Felix teased.
Of course they would not know, she was getting nervous over nothing.
"Gail, Reve!" a singsong voice called.
She groaned as Gwendolyn approached them, looking smug as usual. It was like she thought herself the princess instead of Gail.
"How very nervous you must be! Oh, but I'm worried you won't be happy. I've heard that, well-" she lowered her voice to a mock whisper, "that he's horribly disfigured beneath his mask and that his girlfriend is some commoner whore off the streets."
She gave Gail a fake sympathetic look, shrugging.
"No one gives a fuck about what you've heard," Gail answered, practically trembling with anger.
"And Reve, you should know that your fiance is a little…well several people have seen him flirting with other men, then again, birds of a feather flock together, so maybe you don't care," Gwendolyn said, casting a disgusted glance at her brother as she brought up Farris.
"Is that all?" Reve questioned, gripping Felix's arm tightly. Gwendolyn had never been kind to her half brother, an illegitimate child she viewed as a stain on her perfect reputation, but even this was a step too far for what she usually said.
"You should know better than to gossip about your betters, Gwendolyn," Gail stated, standing.
"Have fun with married life, in case we don't get a chance to speak again before you get shipped off to Prynn," she called over her shoulder, waltzing off.
"Why would she even bring Farris into this, he's just friendly," Felix mumbled, looking down.
"Don't blame yourself, if he wants to be friends with you then I'm sure he has heard the rumors and just doesn't care," Reve insisted.
"What a bitch, doesn't she have better things to do?" Gail questioned.
"Apparently not."
No, killing her would not be a hard thing to do, and the more they spoke, the more tempted Reve was to entertain those blasphemous thoughts.