“Some are saying there was no assassination attempt at all, or if there was, it did not involve Hades’ Delight,” Clara replied.
“Do you accuse me of lying?” the Princess asked.
“No, of course not. It’s just that no pureblood vampire has ever survived Hades’ Delight. It was thought impossible.”
“And yet, here I sit,” the Princess replied shortly and turned away from Clara, facing the front as the lecturer called the room to attention.
The Princess’s features were neutral, her face resting, showing no sign of agitation, but her hand gripping my thigh a little too tightly concerned me - I thought I’d have bruises in the shape of her fingers.
“Are you going to share the secret as to how you survived?” Clara asked quietly during the lecture.
“No,” the Princess replied coldly, her hand gripped me tighter. I pried at her hand to loosen her grip and clenched my teeth to avoid whimpering.
She released my thigh at my attempts. I looked at her, and she stared ahead as if she was paying attention to the lecture.
“It’s not fair to make such a claim and then keep the means to your recovery to yourself. Others could potentially be saved,” Clara pressed.
The Princess snorted, a nasty smirk tugging at her lips.
“The cure is near impossible to acquire, as it requires another to make a sacrifice too great. Hades’ Delight, I assure you, remains as deadly as ever,” the Princess responded with no attempt to whisper. “As deadly as accusing your future Queen of deceit and maliciously withholding information,” she continued, like her voice, making no attempt to hide her threat.
Clara’s face reddened. She looked outraged. “I apologise. I was not making any such accusations,” she replied, and while her words and tone were timid, her expression did not match them. The disconnect made me uncomfortable. The Princess held her stare until Clara dropped her gaze.
“You have had far too much need to apologise as of late. It would do you well to stay out of my sight for a time,” the Princess hissed. “Starting now.”
Clara looked up, her cheeks growing redder; from anger or embarrassment I could not tell. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again and stood from her seat. She looked around the room and hissed loudly at the class that watched her make her way across the row and leave the lecture.
“Continue with the class, please,” the Princess instructed the lecturer after Clara had stormed from the room. She lifted her arm and placed it lazily over my shoulders, her head high and expression calm. But it felt like she was merely putting on a performance of nonchalance for any eyes that watched her.
When the lecture ended the Princess walked me to my Political Structure class.
Outside the class, she pulled me to her by my blazer and bent to run her nose along my neck. “Pay attention in class. I might quiz you later,” she whispered against my ear before standing tall and straightening my blazer.
“Quiz?” I asked disbelievingly. “Like a test?”
“Yes,” she replied.
“But, why?” I complained. Tests were horrible, legal torture, designed to make you forget anything you ever learned, including how to spell your own name.
“Education is important, and I want you to better understand how my kingdom functions,” she explained with a smirk. She was enjoying my distress. I could tell.
“But I don’t like tests,” I replied weakly. She laughed lightly, her hand rising to run her knuckles along my jaw.
“I’ll meet you in the café after your class,” she told me, waving goodbye. I watched her leave me. I pulled out my schedule from my back pocket to check where she would be, Modes of Governance Throughout the World. It was longer than my class and probably infinitely more boring. I put my schedule away and entered the class.
“Percy!” Ana called loudly as I entered. When I looked, she was running towards me. I caught her as she hugged me tightly. “It’s so good to see you. I’ve been worried sick. Let me look at your hands,” she rushed out, releasing me from her tight hug and grabbing at my hands, turning them over. “This is good,” she commented.
I pulled my hands back. They had been a mess the last time Ana had seen them, and while they had healed fast, my palms were lined with thin white scars.
“Ana, it’s great to see you again. I’m sorry I didn’t say goodbye or try to see you,” I told her. I knew she had stayed within the castle an extra day after I awoke, but I was still healing and enjoying my time being cared for by the Princess.
“That’s understandable. I’m just happy you’re well,” she replied, and we walked to a table and took seats next to each other.
“How are you?” I asked and turned in my seat to face her. She smiled brightly.
“I’m good. Very good. I know it’s in poor taste. Please don’t take this the wrong way, I would much prefer you never needed help, but my friendship with you and everything that happened has elevated my standing within my coven and House,” she told me.
“How?” I asked curiously.