She immediately pocketed the box within the folds of her dress. Willow stepped aside, a knowing shimmer in her eyes.
'Who is she?!'
Her fixation on Willow was quickly dampened as two other nymphs walked into the dining hall. Ro's blood ran cold and her essence spiked, causing the hairs on her skin to stand.
Her essence felt it moments before she registered it. That figure had been the one she had seen before dying.
The late governor's son.
Ro's expression remained frozen on her face as Fern looked at her, his green eyes holding a mischievous gleam as he smiled. His sister, Tury, hend onto his arm, her neatly groomed green hair matching her brother's. Her pink eyes dismissed Ro, surveying the hall instead in wonder.
Ro clenched her jaw, and a quiver troubled her stomach.
He was the one who did it!
Rage made her skin hot and her face twisted in anguish. She took a step towards the siblings when the other nymphs burst into the chamber.
Ester and another attendant walked in and closed the doors behind them.
One by one, the colourful guests walked towards Ro, offering greetings. Ro fought the distaste that threatened to reveal itself on her face, and she tried so hard not to look at Fern. But the greetings from the other nymphs were hollow. Fake. Some of them could barely even conceal the disgust in their gazes.
There were three nobles and thirteen officials in all. With the exception of Willow.
These were numbers smaller than what should be present for a diplomatic wedding, and the Lispans must have known this too. That was the least of Ro's worries. Erzi never respected her.
Ro returned the greetings, keeping quiet when Fern and Tury half-heartedly offered theirs.
Ignoring the two, she turned to the others, forced a smile, and stretched her hand towards the table. "Please, have your seats."
Willow moved to take a seat. The others paused momentarily before walking away. One of the officials frowned.
Such a simple statement. Was it so hard to take an instruction from her?
The servants left the hall, leaving behind Tyre, Ester, and another attendant.
They approached Ro, and Ester slightly leaned forward to whisper in her ear that Iver would be joining them shortly.
Ro nodded in understanding, but to her surprise, an odd flicker of emotion flashed across Ester's face. Without another word, the attendants left the hall.
Leaving her alone with the nymphs.
Ro stifled the shock, refusing to let it show on her face. She had not expected them to leave. A deathly quiet fell upon the hall. Without a doubt, Ro guessed the attendants or even Iver himself would be listening in. There was no other reason everyone would leave her alone with the others.
'Was that why Ester looked strange?'
Ro glanced at the table. They all stared at her. She sighed and took her seat.
Then, she looked around, perusing their faces. "Iver will be joining us very soon."
Their faces twisted up in disgust and shock. Tury and another lady's mouth hung open. Willow sported a grin.
One of the officials stood up, the wrinkles on his face twisted in restrained fury. "First, you sit without waiting for your future husband to arrive, then you—"
The official beside him grabbed his arm, the disapproving look on his face shutting the man up. He shook his head.
The old man glared at Ro and snatched his arm to himself, sitting back down.
"I hope the cold did not bother you upon your arrival." Ro smiled.
Some of them shifted in discomfort as if recollecting an unpleasant memory.
"Thank you for your hospitality," one of the nobles commented, a rigid smile peeking out of his greying beard.
"I am glad you have been made comfortable. Iver would be glad to hear that," Ro simply responded.
Everyone except Willow grimaced. This was the second time she was calling him by his name. The first time had taken Ro slightly by surprise. He had not given her permission to address him as such. But she couldn't help but think he wouldn't mind.
Even as a wife, it was disrespectful to refer to your husband by his first name without his title. Much less, before marriage.
But this was not Erzi.
"Can you find out what is taking him? The food will get cold," someone murmured.
"He won't be long. The food here can be exceedingly hot. It takes a while for it to cool." A pause. Ro eyed Fern and Tury.
Her chest tightened.
Of course, the young master had never hidden his distaste for her from the moment they met. By all means, he must have felt justified killing her. No one liked her defiance.
But how did she end here?
The guess at the back of her mind came out of her lips before she could realise it. "Why did you bring her?"
Fern sighed, the annoyance on his face changing to joy. "I know you two do not get along, but our cousin really wanted to see you one last time."
A number of officials and nobles smirked. They were all in on this.
A chill cut through Ro as realization dawned on her.
Tury….
She had been sent in his sister's place.
Ro did not understand. He could have killed her. He had succeeded once. What happened during those missing days? Was this another method he had chosen to get rid of her?
Still, it was dangerous. And the fact that the emperor had granted such a thing…
The Lispans might know the truth. Someone here could tell Iver, have him under the illusion that Ro sabotaged Tury and took her place shortly before the ship embarked. This would have Ro killed and—
'No. That's wrong. It wouldn't work that way…'
But…
Ro clenched her jaw.
They would not have done something this foolish without reason. And the fact that Fern brought Tury here spelt trouble.
"You should not have brought her here." Ro grimaced.
"You have no right to decide who should come and who should not. You have no right to decide anything, in fact," one of the officials snapped.
Ro eased her features to a blank slate. The empty look she had always carried about in Erzi. "You have all made an utterly foolish decision."
Willow's lips twitched. The young nymph was struggling with a hidden, silent laugh that went unnoticed by everyone, except Ro.
"Don't get so high and mighty just because you're not in Erzi. We are the ones who put you here. I put you here," Fern hissed, his eyes hardening. "Know your place."
Ro's eyes narrowed. She didn't care if the wolves were listening in anymore. In fact, she would want them to listen. She was going to have to decide on an escape route immediately. With their own words, she was going to make them admit what they had done. At the very least, it would hint that she wasn't at fault for this deception.
And she hoped Iver himself was listening in.
Ro did not want to envision the worst scenario. That somehow, within those days she could not remember, she had somewhat agreed to this decision for some reason.
"I find it hard to believe that such an arrangement, 'this' arrangement, was made without much forethought," she started, her voice low. "I am in the dark as to what is happening. Perhaps I wasn't meant to know all the details?"
They glared at her. Some glanced at the doors. They would have been aware someone might be eavesdropping. Ro frowned. She had to dispel that thought quickly.
"You do not have to worry about anyone listening in. I have checked. The walls here are stone. Very thick, and absorbs sound," she added.
She wasn't inherently lying. But she had noticed how keen the wolves' hearing was from monitoring the servants.
"Shut up. That is enough from you!"