Unbothered, the strange man takes a seat on the chair, letting the girl sit on her bed. He glides smoothly over, like floating on air, like he commands the very ground. Camrin tries to act normal, but the man puts her on edge.
"Good morning, Camrin. It seems like you've had quite the rough day yesterday. I hope you have a fast recovery." His smile is subtle but teasing. "I know the sudden introduction may throw you off, but I assure you we'll get to know each other very soon. If you prefer, I'll start with myself. I am Val, a professor in history and magic courses at the nation's top school, which we will discuss later. I am currently an ambassador to three of the four nations surrounding Eshika, which you will also learn about during your classes. I am responsible for your safety and cooperation. As you can see, I have many duties to complete and not in need of more trouble. You will do as told or face the punishment. Am I making myself clear?"
Unsure if she is supposed to answer that or not, Camrin stays silent. Based on Val's expression though, her silence must have been interpreted as fear. More food for her personality cover, at least.
They stay there, staring at each other awkwardly. What now? Camrin looks around the small room; it has a window this time. Nothing else but a bed and a chair with a small table. No books this time. No wandering shadows and laughing voices. She studies the room and ignores the man, Val, studying her.
"So, am I going to recover from my injuries first before we start.... whatever we're going to be doing."
"Yes, your physical training will be cut down, though not diminished completely. Correct me if I'm wrong but it appears you only have a crippled hand and maybe a series to migraines to deal with. As for your classes, you will be enrolled in them as soon as possible, though some complications may occur."
"Is this officially my room? When can I expect to start doing anything?"
"Don't overexert yourself for now. Rest for the time being and I will inform you of any changes." He stands up suddenly, eyes a deadly gray, glowing with a strangely familiar light.
"I hope to accomplish many things with you. But for now, have a good rest of your day."
He leaves without hesitation, opening the door wide enough for her to get a peak of the guard now stationed at her door. That wasn't there before. Maybe one of the servants tattled on her. It isn't until the door is completely shut and the sounds of distant laughter and shouting are cut that Camrin finally thinks about her situation.
She has a mysterious teacher now. A questionable companion. A past friend. A cruel power holder. And ten thousand questions. Camrin looks at her bandaged hand. Is there a mirror around here, she wants to see her reflection.
She's bored, very bored, and that usually leads to horrible decisions. Before Cam can think about convinced the guard to take her somewhere, Lilith appears in her mind.
[My human, I miss you terribly.]
Emotions overwhelm Cam and before she can respond, she is interrupted again.
[Do not respond now, my human. I do not want my uncontrolled emotions to put you in danger. You are not yet prepared to communicate telepathically and anything you say out loud for now can be used against you. Remember do not let on that I'm here.]
She nods, unsure whether Lilith can tell. Still, she wants to find a way to talk with her, to see her. Her plan of going out intensifies. What can she do in such a boring, limiting room anyway. The presence in her mind is gone again, off to whatever mysterious place she goes. Camrin looks at the window but finds no one outside. This time her view is an outside court of sorts.
Breathing evenly, Camrin walks to the door and opens it, just in time to make eye contact with the man looking into her soul. There are two guards standing there, not even startled by her sudden movement. Must've had some really good training. She stares between the two of them, quickly deciding that neither looks kinder than the other.
"Good morning, I was just going out to eat." She tries to casually walk past the door like nothing is wrong, only to get blocked by the two of them slamming together like a sliding door.
"I can't eat?"
"Your daily breakfast has already been brought to your table."
"I want more. How will I recover if my ever nutrition is being limited."
"We'll get it for you."
"But I want to pick out my own food. What if I'm allergic? Picky?" Camrin gives her best smile. "I just want to go get some food. I will cooperate with you and do whatever you want while you're out." Taking a quick breath, Camrin says her line as evenly as possible. " I don't want to act as stupid as I've been. The way I acted before was unwarranted and undeserved. I apologize sincerely." A few tense seconds pass before from the woman on the right looks to the man.
"It'll only be a few feet to the kitchen, what can she possibly do?" They shrug then signal her forward. The woman leads Camrin in the front and the male guard trails her from behind. They don't look to be taking chances on her escape. Still, Camrin follows them, allowing herself a moment of peace.
This time with the scary guards at her sides, the kitchen staff don't dare stare for too long. They cast disgusted, resentful glances her way before going back to cooking, to wiping the tables, to ironing the clothes. When they reach the large table in the middle, the guards murmur with the head chef, nod, then signal her forward while they stand back, giving her space to eat. The face that greets her at that table is the worst of all. Pretty short waves followed by sharp eyebrows and dark shadows.
"The palace will let anyone in these days, huh? But please, go ahead and order us around Your Majesty."
They have sarcasm here too it seems.
Without hesitation, Camrin grabs a plate, piles it high with food, and gives the girl a provocative smile. They really couldn't beat the attitude out of her. In fact, now that the shock of this strange world is wearing down, her personality is crashing back in full force.
"I don't understand what you mean. Hey," Camrin looks back at her guards and purposely raises her voice, "do you know what she means? I would love to start learning about Qestin culture from the people around me. She said-" The girl pales, her little antennas twitching, and slams her hand over her mouth.
"Don't worry, sir, I can take care of her. I know how hard your job is. And how upset you are to be given such a pathetic case." The guards don't react, not even a flinch. No confirmation that they really hated their job or that they were given a weak mission. They seemed too informal to be professional though, from the interaction at her door.
Still, they are really well trained. And the people here are more scared of them then the guards I had last time. What did Igore call them again. Pezhes.
Suddenly the whole kitchen freezes, everybody shamelessly turning to her. The evil girl's face twists even further.
"How dare you call us that! We offer necessary labor and importance in the rhythm of this palace. Nothing would ever work over here without us! We are the foundation!"
The male guard stops her from continuing her rampage but not before murmurs of agreements follow her bitter words. Suddenly, the guard grabs Camrin's plate and shoves her quickly back into her room. Before slamming the door, he shoves her plate back to her, then stares at her with a disdainful look.
"First day with the problematic raja and you use a degrading phrase. Nicely done. I don't know how they want us to redeem you." He slams the door behind him and Camrin gets to hear the mocking laughter of the female guard looking straight at her.
"Degrading phrase? A slur? Did she say something like that? Maybe their culture and language understanding is different?
"Ha" Camrin gasps suddenly. Pezhes. She must have said that out loud. God, Igore is really getting her in trouble. Was it intended? Sighing, she sits down with her delicious plate of food, cringing as she remembers what she just did.
God, she really can't get along with anyone.
Her current backing in Eshika: 0%