The Cooker's arrival marked a shift in her time at home. If things had been busy before, it had only worsened and she wasn't sure how she had managed to fit more into one sun than before. Her father had thrown his full weight behind women's rights– to the extent he agreed to champion it– and it took up most of their time.

Women were going to be allowed to hold land and inherit their father's titles. They were still trying to get Council support for a temporary policy but they had secured all of Elox. Like before, once a plan of action had been agreed upon, she had lessened her meetings with her father to be able to campaign amongst the court and she was thankful for a bit of a break from him.

The lesson she had been taught a cycle before with Ivon had served to instill in her a fear of her father that wasn't there when she arrived at the estate. A more cautious approach was taken when they were together and her boldness and brashness with him dwindled slightly. Yet, mention of her antics with Viv was not heard again. Killian never spoke about Ivon, never made an allusion to her preferences, and also had withdrawn from his brazen attitude.

When she wasn't spending time with her father, she was out with the ladies on the town or entertaining at court. It was procedural and mimicked almost exactly what she did convincing others to take action on poverty. She showed and explained that other women in lower classes worked hard and never had anything to show for it. No right to property, business, or titles. After all that hard work, they couldn't be free.

Once they were worked up about that, she worked them up about their own status. Always playing second to the men, getting overlooked, not being seen for all the hard work they do for their houses, and brothers, and fathers, and husbands, and sons. She framed it as an opportunity for their daughters and granddaughters, an opportunity that meant that they would not be pressed for a male heir to the point of death. A standard would be set that women could and would lead. If they were upset before she mentioned that, they were ready to burn their husbands for the reality of having rights. It was not lost on her that it wasn't until she mentioned the plight of the upper-class women that they suggested and supported action.

Ava was also slowly gaining her father's trust. He had begun to arrange bigger events, and larger social outings, and gave her more of a central and visible role in everything. She was paraded as the woman who agreed with a greater political role, she was supposed to show everyone what it could look like. A few suns before, she had attended a field tournament in a neighboring city, hosted by a Great House. She had been sent as the Vaith representative and she presented a speech both at the start of the games and at the large celebration feast after.

In all of that, she had forgotten to breathe. She never had a moment to be with herself. Even if she had gotten the opportunity, she would have missed it. She hadn't had the energy to look for those moments. The travel, the pressure, and the expectations were getting to her. It was easier to make her mind go blank than have to address the growing hole in her chest.

"Are you ready princess? Your family is already on their way to the Great Hall for the announcement," Viv said from her doorway.

Ava looked back from where she had been staring out of her window, the bars gone. With Ivon left his cruel punishments. She had taken it upon herself to request the metal removed and her father had obliged. She had guards posted outside of her windows, watching to see if she climbed out of the estate so there was no reason to also keep her shut in from a nice view.

"Not really. I don't need to be there," Ava replied and looked back out of the window. The sun was supposed to be high up in the sky but it was blocked by dark grey clouds. The weather had taken a turn and it had been gloomy for a half cycle.

Viv's wooden heels echoed across the stone floor as she walked inside and stood behind Ava, "Well, you weren't given much of a choice. Also, this is your doing. There wouldn't be an announcement about women's reform if you didn't propose it in the first place. Why don't you want to be there?"

"You've spent so long with me and yet know nothing," Ava pointed out as she looked back at Viv.

"Well, I am assuming you don't want to go because of your aversion to the duties of noble life but I thought it might be more exciting than that. It's kind of getting old," Viv teased and placed a hand on Ava's shoulder and squeezed it, "let's go."

"Will I be getting my reward tonight?" Ava looked back at Viv with a smile.

"I would rather watch the whole of Baethos sit in squalor, with women treated as nothing more than producers of heirs and toys for men, if it meant that I didn't have to make due on your request," Viv laughed and slid her arms around Ava.

She was about to lean into the embrace but it was not meant to be a soft touch. She was suddenly pulled back off the windowsill. She stood up once she was fully pulled off her small throne on the window. She spun around to face Viv who reached out and began to fix some of her dress that had gotten shifted out of place.

"I expect it later tonight, I have no plans so you will make haste back to my room after the announcement."

"You have no plans? No Mallory or Oceane?"

"Oceane is attending a party in the servant's quarters. Everyone has been preparing for the announcement all sun and the whole staff except the kitchen have the rest of the night off after it happens," Ava frowned, she would have rather spent the night with her small community than alone but she had seen them just the night before which meant her soul was a bit fuller.

"And Mal?"

"With Cam tonight."

"If you aren't careful, she's going to end up in a union with him and not you," Viv said with a slight frown.

"If it were only that easy. Tried convincing her that it was the right option and she said they have no interest in being promised to each other," Ava sighed a bit, "they've become the best of friends recently."

"Sorry everyone but you has an actual social life," Viv teased and held out her hand, "now, let's go before you are late."

"It's just going to be the same shit as always, common people forced into the back of the great hall and wanting to leave as soon as they can and court members watching on in judgment," Ava huffed and ignored Viv's offer for an arm as she walked out.

"You continue to complain about the way things are done, customs, and power imbalances and yet nothing comes of it. Do you not think it would be better to just keep it to yourself sometimes? It gets repeteitve," Viv said

"I'm sure when one has no values or morality, discussing things of that sort can get trite," she shot back and left her room without waiting for Viv to respond.

—-------

"Remember when you said we wouldn't be fucking anymore because my father found out? I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away," Ava chuckled and sat up in bed, reaching over to her nightstand to pour herself some water.

"Remember earlier tonight when you said you wanted to be alone?"

"Remember earlier tonight when you said you wouldn't stay too long and you had plans?"

"Am I better than Theo?" Viv ignored her teasing.

"No," Ava laughed, she had given up on trying to get Viv to stop asking.

"I still feel as if you are just trying to bruise my ego," Viv sighed, "I just don't understand what she would have that I don't. She's amazing– don't get me wrong– but so am I."

"This really bothers you," Ava laid back down in the bed, "I would say aside from me ruining your image on occasions, this is the only thing I've ever seen you upset about."

"I am granting you three questions as your reward, full honesty and no vagueness as answers, but I think I deserve one answer to my own question as my own reward," Viv negotiated.

"I am an open book."

"Why do you think Theo is better?" Viv pulled Ava in and rested her arm around her and her hand splayed over her ribs.

Ava turned on her side so her head was on Viv's chest and she chuckled a little bit, thinking of her answer before speaking. After a bit of time, she looked up at Viv and Viv returned the gaze.

"You lack everywhere except physically. This is just fucking. Nothing more, nothing less. I happen to enjoy it right now and I have no need for anything else. If I am comparing purely in physicality, then I suppose the both of you are on par," Ava answered.

"But you aren't just comparing us on the physical, there is more?"

"Emotion, passion, connection. General regard for each other. Care," Ava shrugged, "an alignment of values and perspectives."

"You and values," Viv groaned a bit, "so, Theo is better than me because you were making love, and not fucking is what you are saying."

"I am not saying that. Theo and I did more than just make love. But regardless of the intensity, the roughness, the situation, or the experiment there was always something deeper there."

"But we are equal in our skills," Viv said.

"I would say so, I suppose," Ava shrugged.

"That's more than enough for me. Ego healed," Viv was the one that sat up that time and reached to the other nightstand for a pipe they had gotten sidetracked from.

"You are quite shallow."

"And I quite enjoy it," Viv sat back as she lit the ravci pipe, "go on and ask your questions so I can stop worrying about what they will be."

Ava took the pipe as it was handed to her and waited to answer until she had taken a hit, "Well, my first question should be simple for you to answer. How did you come to be in this line of work?"

"I was raised into it. Much like Theo and the others were but a lot less unconventional," Viv answered.

"I would say that any sort of training of children for underground jobs is unconventional," Ava argued, "I think what you meant to say was that your experience was not as cruel and brutal as their treatment."

"I wouldn't say they were treated cruelly or brutally at all," Viv shook her head and shrugged one shoulder, "sure, Uncilo could be mean at times and his methods were mind games that were difficult for children to get through but they were fed, loved, and protected."

"I have a feeling your treatment was probably worse than you think."

"I am not denying my treatment was downright awful. I had no guarantee of food, or love, or protection but I wasn't put through what they were. Forced to kill wasn't the way my mentor liked to do things," Viv shed more light on her background, more than Ava had hoped to know.

"So, what was your training like?"

Viv raised an eyebrow in response.

"This is my second question," Ava assured.

Viv shrugged and took back the pipe, taking her time with a few hits.

"Well," she seemed to be running through a proper way to get the information out in a way that wouldn't invite more questions. It was something Ava noticed Viv doing quite often, "one sun, a man came into the orphanage, did his rounds, and took about six of us to a mansion. Niveal mansions are enormous, small castles. That was what first stood out to me as a child, before then we weren't really let out of the orphanage."

Ava took the pipe and allowed Viv to keep speaking.

"I was set up in a room with my six orphanage mates and just never went back. Nothing was explained to us and we weren't asking any questions. We had a room and some warm food. A few suns later, school began. We learned to read, write, research, memorize history, and whatever else they deemed necessary-"

"Did you stay in your rooms that whole time?" Ava interrupted, "not my third question, just a clarification."

Viv laughed at her and shook her head, "No, we were allowed out. There were many others like us. Orphans, kids whose parents couldn't afford them anymore, anyone younger with no one to expect them home. Then, once we were educated we were trained. Finding information, establishing connections, and going on jobs. If we did good, we got warm food. If we didn't do well that sun, we could only hope the next was a better display of our abilities. When we started getting sent on missions, coin would be awaiting our success and we would get nothing for failure. Then, eventually, we aged out of the mansion and it was time to go out on our own."

"Aged out?"

"There was a reason there were only little girls at our little facility. No one suspects little girls. Same reason why Uncilo took on the others and it was so lucrative for him," Viv explained, "once we were old enough to bring a bit more attention to ourselves, we were kicked out. No warning, one night I had a bed, and the next I didn't."

"What happened to the girls you were with? Do you still keep in contact with them?"

Viv chuckled grimly, Ava couldn't understand why. What she could understand was a bit more about Viv. She was raised in a harsh environment and that breeds harshness. Theo was asked to do awful things but she had love and safety all around her.

"I see some of them from time to time," Viv nodded.

"That's vague."

"That was your fifth question."

"What?" Ava gasped a bit, "no! Those were only two questions and unimportant follow-ups. I made that clear."

"You love to set your own rules, princess, how noble-like of you," Viv laughed and sat up, reaching down to grab her pants.

"Give me my third question."

"No."

"Fine, but I'm asking it anyway," Ava slipped out of bed and pulled on her robe.

"Plecki," Viv said as she pulled her pants and then pull her shirt over her arms.

"What does that mean?" Ava laughed as she circled the bed and stood in front of Viv, reaching down and beginning to button her shirt.

"Dovish for stubborn. But worse. Hard-headed, stubborn, unmoving, annoying and loves to engage in borderline harassment," Viv looked down at Ava as her shirt was buttoned.

"I think those last two might have been thrown in there by you and not the Dovish language," Ava joked and buttoned about halfway up, "why did you continue to come back here after you said this was done? The risk outweighs the reward, from what you've always made it seem. You can go out and sleep with anyone yet you chose to come to me."

"Convenience."

"Bullshit."

"You know how to take a lovely evening and ruin it in a matter of seconds," Viv pushed past Ava and went to grab her coat.

"I haven't done anything but ask a question. You love to blame me for your bad attitude," Ava jabbed. When Viv got upset, it was hard for Ava not to antagonize but Viv did the same with her.

"I think you have chosen to spend your nights with me because you care about me. Maybe not romantically but you see me as a friend you can have a good time with," Ava teased as she followed Viv out the door.

She turned around, swiftly, and there was a bit of a smirk on her face. But the type that Ava had grown to know as one that predicted bitterness and spite from Viv.

"Or, maybe I value revenge and repairing my pride. What better way to do that than fucking the girl that replaced me?" Viv looked her up and down then shrugged a shoulder, "and I get a good time out of it too. Is that reason enough, princess?"

"Leave," Ava took a step back, "just go, Vivexa."

Viv didn't even fight it or show remorse for her comment. She gave a small curtsy and then left the room without a goodbye. Ava closed the door behind her and then pressed her back against it. She took a deep breath and tried to pretend like she wasn't hurt.

—-

It was cold outside and the coat she had on was not providing nearly enough warmth as she needed. Ava was in the forest outside of the estate, surrounded by the court and all the servants that came with them. The wind that whipped around the sparse trees in the clearing they were in was biting and her gloves were of no use, neither were her boots, or any of her layers.

Her eyes were tracking two people in front of her as they searched the ground for hints that something was buried under it. The two of them, Mallory and Cameron, had been joined at the hip during the Cooker's tenure at the estate. So much so that she hadn't spent much time with either of them. Even though she was urged to spend time with Cameron by everyone around her, she made excuses. Mallory was more than happy to take him off her hands.

It warmed her heart a bit, to see Mallory so happy and carefree. It had gotten people talking, some suspected a union to be announced between the two soon but her mother was not allowing that. Her plan, for whatever reason, was to wed Ava to Cameron. Ava watched on as Mallory squealed and began jumping up and down as Cameron dropped to his knees and began digging.

From the ground, a large, round, white mushroom emerged and Mallory took it without hesitation. She ran it over to a cart and dropped it in. Cameron went back to looking, opting to crawl around on the floor instead of standing back up. Mallory didn't join him again, she came to stand in front of Ava.

"You aren't joining the hunt? You used to love this," Mallory tilted her head.

Ava took a step back and covered her nose, "Mal please."

"Oh," she laughed and took her own step back, "they're not called carcass mushrooms for no reason. When you are in it, you don't notice it as much. Why aren't you hunting? You used to love it."

"I just came to be at father's side for his speech," Ava answered, "he wants me at every event tonight."

"Even the trials?"

"Even the trials," Ava nodded.

It was the last sun of official court season. A festival had been occurring for ten suns and that night was the last night. They began with a hunt for the carcass mushroom, a meaty mushroom that was an Eloxian delicacy and the star of the dish for the feast that night. After the hunt, there would be a tournament of skill. From fighting to archery, entertainment was not lacking. It ended with a somber occasion, a Great Hall Trial attended by all court members as a way to remind everyone that lords still needed to do their job amongst the partying. Finally, the feast.

Ava was looking forward to the morning after when she could finally rest for a while.

"Are you not hunting because you are upset about last night?" Mallory asked.

"If I got upset for every time our siblings have been mean to me, I would never be happy."

"You aren't ever happy," she pointed out.

Ava chuckled a bit, "How are you doing? Dinner was a bit heated."

"Penelope just does not know proper etiquette," Mallory shook her head, "they can keep whatever issues they have with you to themselves for the length of dinner."

"You don't have to always stand up for me. They've started to be cross with you too," Ava frowned and took a step toward her sister, ignoring the smell.
'
"I do it partially to stand up for you and partially because I will always take an opportunity to call our sister a witless cunt. Seeing as our good Lord Vaith did not ground me to my chambers for the hunt, he agrees with me," Mallory looked back when Cameron hollered that he had found another one.

"Go," Ava dismissed her and Mallory ran off. She turned around and looked through the people around the forest looking for her father. She spotted him near the tent with all the food and refreshments and began to make her way over.

"Good morning, Lord Vaith," she nodded at him as she stood by his side.

"Good morning, Avery, have you been enjoying the hunt?"

"Yes, thank you."

"I have an interesting development to report," he said as he turned his head to look down at her and she matched his gaze, raising both of her eyebrows in interest, "I heard a good idea from your brother for the first time."

"That he should join the army to get some experience before he comes into his inheritance?" Ava joked.

He cracked a small smile and shook his head, "No. That you should lead the trials tonight."

Her head whipped over to where her brother was looking around the forest floor and then back to her father, "The trials are not far off and I don't know how to conduct one. I would be entirely unprepared. And it is unprecedented, only heirs or heads of households lead trials."

"Well, we are championing a new era in Baethos. We have proposed that women be given a larger role and while you have been at my side during events, we need to get you to take action rather than simply by a symbol," he argued against her logic.

"Still doesn't make me prepared to take on the task in such a short amount of time."

"You will stay for the speech and then I will have you escorted back to the estate to get a lesson from the law masters. You can afford to miss out on the tournament. You will be ready to go before the Great Hall trials and then you will attend the feast as a celebration,"

"Yes, sir," she nodded, knowing better than to push any more than she had.

She stood by his side until it was time for him to address the crowd. He gave a speech about hope going into a new classification, prosperity, and eventual abundance when Baethos is righted on its path. Shortly after, she excused herself to begin walking back to the estate.

"It will be more comfortable of a journey back to the estate if you take the litter," Arnelo followed behind her as she made her way to the break in the forest.

"I have no interest in being carried anywhere," Ava answered as she kept walking.

Arnelo did not keep pressing her about it. He trailed her in silence. After a bit, he called out.

"Vivexa is on her way!"

Ava glanced back and sure enough, Viv was walking toward them at a hurried pace. Ava picked up her dress and walked faster, her boots sinking into the mud as she crossed into the wet plains outside of the estate.

"You haven't allowed me to apologize for what I said that night," Viv caught up with her eventually despite her best efforts.

"You haven't really tried that much," Ava didn't look her way as they kept walking.

"I have, you haven't agreed to see me in fourteen suns."

"Arnelo has been escorting me from place to place and I haven't needed your advice or your help about anything," Ava glanced her way before looking back at her path, "I am sorry if you feel I have been ignoring you. I haven't thought about you enough to realize how long I had gone without speaking to you."

"Apology accepted," Viv laughed a bit, "I am here to escort you to the law masters, per your father's orders."

"Escort me then. It does not require speaking," Ava replied and trudged ahead, Viv let herself fall back and Ava found herself alone for the rest of the trek back.

—----

"Next," she called out then looked down at the scroll that had just been handed to her, she opened it and looked through it.

She looked up to see an older boy, not much older than 13, with clean servants' clothes on. Ava frowned. The scrolls never reported age. Only name, crime, and sentence. The trial had been decided at the moment of this poor boy's arrest. No matter what was said.

"Grin," she spoke, "you are a dish boy in our very own kitchens. Is that true?"

"Yes, my Lady," he tried to bow but the chain around his neck was pulled back slightly.

"You are accused of stealing from the kitchens. What is your story?" she asked and he looked around the crowd before looking up at her.

"It was just a fork, my Lady."

"What use do you have for a fork?" she asked, "if you needed a fork in the servant's quarters, you may have asked the head of the kitchens for one."

"It was for the silver," he admitted, "I was trying to get enough money to get my younger sister a toy."

"We have programs in place to help your family get food, shelter, water, and small luxuries and yet you steal from us?"

"I meant no harm," he shook his head, "just trying to make my sister happy. On her commencement anniversary, she got nothing."

Ava wanted badly to forgive him. But she had to follow the formula. The crime, the questions, the lesson, the sentence. That is what the law masters had told her and she had realized her father had followed that same pattern for lengths. She had established the crime, she had led the questions to a lesson, and now she had to pass the sentence.

"You are young. This is your first job. It is not your fault that it happens to be in a nobleman's kitchen. My family understands that people make mistakes. There is not a prison sentence in your future but you will be sent to the Cooker household until you have paid off your debt, one length," Ava handed the scroll back to the law master next to her. Just like that, she had broken up a family.

"Next!"

The boy didn't get to speak before guards took him through the prisoner's exit from the hall. The doors opened once again and guards were escorting in the next prisoner on the docket. A woman. Her light hair indicated that either she or her family were from The Twins. Ava couldn't tell much else, she was looking at the ground.

She knew the answer to her question but she had to ask it anyway.

"What are your charges?"

The woman was silent.

Ava's stomach turned and she gathered the will to repeat, "What are your charges?"

"Being a whore."

"Prostitution is not illegal in Elox, that was the will of the people. What are your real charges?"

She did not answer yet again and Ava stood up, having to put on a show as her father had always done. She felt outside of her body like her real self had crawled away from the windows her eyes provided and holed itself in a crevice in her brain. Someone else was at the reigns.

"Prostituting with another woman and impeding the investigation of authority," Ava listed her charges for her, "You may argue your case if you please."

The woman once again said nothing.

"You understand this is your only chance to give your account of what happened. Your charges bring the sentence of hanging," Ava was looking down at her but the woman was looking at the grounds, "we understand that people of your profession do not often have a chance to say no. Yet, you were given the chance to give up who hired you in exchange for a pardon and you didn't comply. Are your recollections of the events any different?"

She didn't speak again. The law master stepped forward to speak but Ava held her hand up, she was not going to get cut short.

"People are not offered second chances often, but in the spirit of women in Baethos getting a renewed chance at life and success I will offer you this same deal. Name the woman who hired you and you will walk free after being taken south," Ava offered and the law master left the balcony, upset at the veering off of the script.

The woman below finally looked up and the hair that had been covering her face fell back to reveal a familiar face. She had once spent an evening in the woman's company cycles ago inside of a cave. The party Jona and Viv had taken her to came back to her memory and she was frozen for a moment.

"Avery," her father whispered from beside her.

"You have repeatedly ignored our goodwill. Guards, take her back to the cells. She will be hung come the end of the cycle," Ava spoke and there was little reaction from anyone.

The guards that had walked her in began to escort her out and the woman kept her eyes up on Ava the whole time. Before exiting she projected out her voice.

"Not all snakes are poisonous!"

Ava frowned as she watched the door shut and then she looked back at the trial. She was going to give the closing speech but her father took the lead. Her posture was rigid and she was still standing, having been joined by the rest of the people on the balcony. All she wanted to do was run back inside but she had to wait.

Her father dismissed the trail goers and as he made his way off the balcony, he motioned her to follow. Ava stepped out of the eye of their constituents in tandem with him.

"That went well, despite your additions," he hummed and excused himself to go speak to the law master.

Her mother passed by her, congratulating her with a titled smile. She stayed still and everyone passed her by, flooding out into the halls of the estate to tend to other business. The only ones left were Viv and Arnelo and they waited on her to make a move but she didn't. Arnelo got closer to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"My lady," he whispered, "let me escort you to your apartments."

"Arnelo, go," Viv got closer to Ava, "she needs some space and someone who gets it. I will get her ready in time for dinner, don't worry."

Ava didn't answer the exchange. She just kept staring ahead. Viv walked toward her after Arnelo walked away and Ava just shrugged, keeping her gaze on one spot.

"We have two hours before dinner," Viv said in a gentle tone as she stood in front of Ava, "I have already requested that the bathing pools be raised to your preferred temperature. There is some food for your empty stomach. You will have some time alone in there."

"You ordered that?"

"I snuck a peak at some of the cases on the docket," Viv said with a slight frown, "I know you would have a hard time with it."

"I knew her," Ava finally pried her eyes away from the wall and looked at Viv.

"Careful," Viv looked behind her then came to Ava's side and guided her forward, "best if you don't say it out loud."

"I sat with her in the caves all night. We shared a cigarette. She had very witty humor and was a pleasure to be around," Ava kept talking even against sage advice, "I sentenced her to death."

"The sentence had been agreed upon. You did nothing but be the mouthpiece."

Ava shook her head and stayed silent the rest of the way as she was guided to the bathing rooms. She went inside the room, shutting everyone out. She pulled off her skirt and ripped at her corset as she walked toward the pool. She hadn't fully undressed, her undergarments and layers under the dress were still on as she slipped into the pool.

She knew what Viv has said was correct. The sentence was passed well before she was involved. Anyone who was on the balcony would be simply there to carry out what the law masters and her father had already decided on. Renouncing was punishable by death. The only exception was if you were a rich person with a last name.

Even though she understood she did nothing but deliver the verdict and sentence, she was still guilty. Sitting up there instead of refusing to. Sending people to their deaths in hopes that some dream of revolution would occur. It started to feel hopeless again. She had won in some areas and lost in so many more. Reforms passed and discussed for the future were limited in scope. Superficial. Performance and spectacle. Nothing was concrete, nothing was real.

She was playing the game of politics, not the game of change. She wanted to cry but nothing came to her. All she could do was curl up in the corner of the pool and stare at the water, lost in her head. She had reached many milestones since coming back. On the surface, she had won. She had gotten what she wanted but at what cost?

Her beliefs, her morals, her commitment to helping, and her own ideas for reform. She had sacrificed all of those. How long could she continue to do it? How long could she be impervious to the effects of power? How long until she turned into her father? She didn't want to be there anymore but she hadn't figured a way out even if she could. She was too involved to leave.

Even if she made it to Niveal, even if she got Oceane back, even if all of that occurred she would have to come back. Her father would do whatever it took to teach a lesson and she couldn't continue to have collateral damage. Ivon, the girl from the cave, who else would fall into her path?

"Red, it's your sister and me," Oceane called out from the other side as she knocked.

Ava didn't answer, she couldn't bring herself to. The door opened anyway and she looked up slightly to see two heads peek in.

"If you don't want us here just say so," Mallory whispered but Ava didn't answer so they took it as an invitation.

Silently, Oceane made her way to the corner Ava was in and got into the water with all her clothes on. Mallory took the hint and did the same. Ava couldn't shake the deep frown that had settled on her face nor could she speak a word. Tears wouldn't come either and she felt like she was in a glass tomb. Able to see, able to be aware but unable to do much else.

Perhaps, it was just profound sadness. No anger or remorse or passion was left in her at the moment just pure melancholy and gloom. She allowed that feeling to settle over her like a blanket for the remainder of the time she was bathing, getting ready, and being escorted to dinner. Mallory and Oceane were there for her but they allowed her to keep silent.

As soon as she was through the door to dinner, however, the silence was broken and she was forced to speak.

"I hear you are accompanying your father to The Center for the Council meeting," Brandon Cooker stated as he came to her side and took her arm.

"We begin our journey in just about half a cycle," she confirmed and allowed her arm to be taken.

"I may have a proposition for you when you return. A way to get you what you asked for but I can make no promises and guarantee nothing."

She turned to look at him, "What is the proposition?"

"Nothing you can be made aware of just yet, my Lady," he slipped his arm out of hers once they arrived at the dinner table and he pulled her chair out, "I hope you enjoy your dinner."

He left from beside her and she watched as he approached his brother. She wanted to speculate and ask questions but she had no fire inside her to do so. There she found herself, sitting by herself until the dinner bell rang.