The burial is so monotonous and full of sadness, it made the hole in her chest expand to so much girth Cleo is surprised that she still managed to stand on her two feet without feeling any sort of fatigue.

Everyone is to wear deep scarlet to any burial of a courtesan — it's to give off love and peace for the deceased. Well, not exactly. That's what Cleo told them to do, she actually just wanted to wear this specific cherry-red dress to each and everyone's burial she were to attend, as the colour made her look prepossessing.

She just wanted to look beautiful for no reason at all.

The most appropriate colour for this kind of situation; in her opinion would be white. But her only white dress in her dresser would get stained by the dirt of the garden floor. What better way to look unattractive to Kaleb? At least the red wouldn't get as stained as the white would.

So red it is.

Genevieves' body stood before them in the vast garden of the Court filled with so many trees and headstones — she felt an unearthly sense of déjà vu— as the trees and stones made her think of Ezra, and how many rocks has dotted the beach.

She is also shocked by the rather copious amount of graves set here. If she had parents she would be one of those people who visits the graves everyday to lay down flowers.

Only if. But she? She has never felt such love from what she has seen by Sir Evan's or the other maids around here. Mother's love is what it's called.

Only love she ever received was: opium's love.

Now with the perfect circle from each person in the Court summoned to form around Genevieve's smooth grey sarcophagus, Cleo skims her gaze over everyone before her and behind her from where she stands in the center of it all.

All stood with a red burning candle in their hands heads bowed awaiting for her to speak.

Before she does, she first brushes her hands over her  simple mermaid style dress of tight cotton that hugged her waist right until her knees before flaring out like a sunflower at her calves and ankles.

It had thin straps on her shoulders and covered her chest appropriately — Landon would be shocked that her chest was actually covered this time. She finally dresses up normally for an event, but... She wore no shoes. As usual. So Landon did perhaps just go all weary again at that. She saw the red sandals on her bed the ruby ones but she threw them in the hearth before coming out here.

She curls her toes in the grass and groans at how soft the blades caressed her feet. So so so good. She could do this all day.

They stood in the center of the garden, the perimeter surrounding them with trees and graves. Flowers and plants frequently placed all over to bring some life to the dead cemetery. If she were alone she would of cracked up and laughed— bring life to the dead?

She is being quite difficult she must say. And so unnecessarily rude. This was a burial, she is supposed to give acts of care and empathy, share the same grief to help and support one another through this difficult time, she should at least offer respect to Genevieve, and especially her sister.

Yet here she stands, without feeling a sliver of mourning. She is too cold and heartless for this kind of stuff.

Where was Landon? Oh- he was watching her already, she flashes him a grin over her shoulder but he didn't return it. He gave her a scowl instead. His face is etched in lines of stress and fury— most likely because of her. What was she thinking about most likely? It's definitely her.

His eyes are wide as he points to the sarcophagus his mouth in such a straight line, it made a brand new book spine jealous.

Even from the far distance between them, she could again see the hint of blue on his lips, and in the slight wind, he seems to be shivering as well.

She grimaces and turns back. Fuck. More problems, they've been attacking her one after the other. Coming at her like her own flames, consuming her.

She was supposed to have said a speech a long time ago. But she feels so highly strung she didn't know what to say. Some even looked up at her with concern giving her a look that said, well? Are you saying something or wasting our time standing around here like ghouls?  It's so something she would say if someone didn't speak up.

She runs her hand over her thigh scratching softly. The damn marks were in a bad mood this morning as was her back. Which reminds her that she needed to speak with Landon about so many things. Starting off with why he dropped off more paperwork this morning as well when she didn't even touch the first batch.

She swears Landon is just pissing her off now.

She moves her hands to her trio braids and fingers the pathways between them and then she folds her hands behind her and makes her way to the dead to the back.

When she reached it she turned around and faces Landon, with the rest of the requisite court members. Kaleb didn't stand too far from them either and he is giving her an equally suppressed look like that of Landon's.

She didn't smile at him or anything. But she did see Lady Delilah stand a little to close to him, her dress matching the colour of her hair. The dress which also barely covered anything, with slits on either side of her thick thighs and a plunging V-neck line, made Cleo feel a little less anxious about her own dress.

Cleo then decides it's time for her speech. After glancing at all the courtesans; Thane being the last in Evans arms— she flits up an ember in her palm and rises it above her head suddenly everyone else looked up at it.

She wanted to shriek at everyone for the sudden attention on her. Center of attention sure is nice at making her feel more overwhelmed and afraid and is the time when she did something silly.

"May her soul rest in peace." She enlarges the flame until a sphere of flame stood in between both her palms and then she swathes it high into the hot clear sky above them.

She is starting to think that she should of said more — proclaiming love, empathy anything to make everyone feel better in Court. But all she said was may her soul rest in peace.

Landon can stop giving her the say more look.

He shakes his head and face palms himself.

She smirks.

                                                            °°°

"I seem to be pissing you off today Landon." Cleo stands in the meeting room with Landon whilst they waited for the rest of the courtesans to join the meeting.

The gentle hot breeze outside waves Landon's remaining hair around as they both stood on the threshold leading to the porch outside.

Landon presses his lips into a tight line cowering his blue lips. Did he know? Was he hiding it from her? He is frowning through his monocle both hands interlocked behind his back as he looks out; first to the guards and then to the Village below.

"No Miss. I am just under extreme compulsion due to all the matters in Court." He shakes his head and continues, "Just seems that everything is going down hill."

Cleo looks over her shoulder to see Delilah coming in with all silk and tulle flipping an exuberant glance to Kaleb standing guard at the entrance of the meeting room before taking her seat.

With all the depressing news and mourn, Cleo and Delilah seemed to be the only ones who were able to pull through and look as fine as ever.

"Have you done any probes with the Rose compartment Landon?" She crosses her arms as she sees Sir Evans taking his seat.

He gives her an alarming look and he turns to face her, "I do not find myself needing to be there Miss. I am quite-"

"Would you like to explain the blue on your lips? You've been trying to hide it from me, why? I noticed it on nearly half the courtesans already."

He bites his lips as if he could still save himself.

"It was evident on the Elementals wasn't it? That's why you didn't tell me. You want to give me hope."

Landon just refuses to meet her eyes  but Cleo knew she was right. The amount of guilt and regret caved in his eyes from her words is enough for her to know that she hit the right spot.

"We will discuss this after the meeting, right now we have more important matters to attend to." He motions to the already full table seated with the rest of the council waiting on them to initiate.

"Yes you're right, we do have very important affairs to discuss. Especially with the high mage and I have something to show you too." Cleo is particularly delighted that the table kept light conversation which made enough room for her and Landon to talk without them eavesdropping.

Landon stills and his murky eyes meets hers even his lips have been exposed."The High mage? But why? Do you know what he really is?"

She rolls her eyes and flips her arms open in a shrug. "I honestly don't care if he is a cat or a dog or a damn pan, but I seek him."

He frowns intently at her, she was afraid the muscles around his eye would crack his monocle in half. "For what reason?"

There was her Landon. The one that was curious and firm about her future, who stood by her side to make her the best and last Elemental there was ever to be. The one she looked up to.

"Part of what I want to show and speak with you about. After the meeting." She smiles brightly as she walks away and to her seat at the head of the table.

"Oh finally. I was about to interrupt your little talk, I have to make my way back to the infirmary, without Genevieve — it's one big disaster." Delilah chuckles out loud glancing toward everyone else but after seeing no one joining in she stopped.

Cleo, despite Delilah's efforts of being the most attractive and beautiful woman in the Court, decides to save the woman from embarrassment."Yes Delilah about that. Who will now be the high healer? Gwen?"

Delilah takes out her red hand fan and swings it about her breasts and face. Cleo is starting to think she wanted to become blood with all the red she was dressed in.

"Gwen? The poor woman is traumatized she can't even hold her spoon in front of her. I am instead looking for one of Genevieve's most appointed apprentices. Surely she has the experience and skills that her wise owner taught her."

Cleo didn't say anything.

As the meeting progressed on about agriculture, the meds, the guards training, the Villages needs etc; Cleo this time decided to take in what was being said — and not daydream about her next smoke with Jezio, which in her honesty she has been starting to crave.

The results were the same however — same cold rising amongst the Courtesans and the decline in food sources in the Village.

Cleo didn't have much to say about it; only increase the amount of guards on watch and her words for the food stocks: let's hope that tomorrow we will have enough corn.

Yes they looked at her strangely but she did give some sort of encouraging speech about the demon attack and how it won't happen again. If it were, she would tackle in and try taming the beast as best as she can.

But the veins on Landon's forehead have been significantly thicker than normal as he stressed out the issues in more depth than the mistress and Sirs' in charge. She also didn't miss the concerned looks that each courtesan was giving him as well.

Whatever Kaleb told her about everyone being concerned seemed like a bunch of trash to her. The concern is by far directed to Landon more than anyone else. He is the General anyway.

After years of hardship at creating the best Elemental for the last few decades and to have it all dissappear just like that? She feels an ounce of his frustrations.

Yet he made it to meet the next Elemental and he might again after her, if he lived along with the rest of the Court.

Cleo comes to the conclusion that if she were a simple courtesan like everyone at this table — she would just kill the Elementals each cyle and solve their misery of hardwork just dying after the crowning. Why bother going on? Why hadn't they just given up yet?

She ignores Landon's initial excitement for her. She was the only one alive. Everything would go smoothly. No wars for this position, because even though she has all those things right now; it still meant nothing — she is still going to die.

But she didn't want to be the cause that his mood becomes worse. So better to keep her mouth shut.

As everyone babbled on, sometimes a bunch of gibberish — mostly coming from Delilah's mouth especially emphasizing the next General after Landon. Cleo didn't want to burst her bubble about that either; she has never known any female General out there before and it is most definitely not going to be her.

Sir Andrew's hasn't even tried to fight back on her about the position, he just simply let it waver over him.

That was all Cleo needed to actually settle in on each and everyone's faces around her. All with the common facade— glum. Down. No hope.

It dawns on her on how bad everything was going, Landon was right about everything going downhill. There hasn't been at least one good thing about this meeting so far, all news and aspiring has been lower than their previous one.

They all seemed to be having hope in her to fix everything, cease all the matters so that they can focus on the main stressor. And that's keeping her alive till after her crowning.

The meeting came to an abrupt end and everyone began taking their leave.

Cleo lounges back in her seat and lolls her head over the edge of the chair arching her throat exposing it perfectly for a demon to feast upon.

She props her bare feet on the round table giving Landon a glimpse of her dirty feet from the burial grounds, across from her.

Cleo cancelled all lessons and other lesser important activities in Court for the day to pay respects to Genevieve and her sister, which includes Landon. She hopes he wouldn't touch any papers or anything of the sort relating to her for the day too.

He needed this break more than anyone in the Court and she hopes he takes it. But knowing the older most stubborn generation — it would take much more convincing for him to breathe for a day away from work.

As Sir Evans leaves last he turns back and looks at Cleo.

He looked funny upside down.

He comes towards her slowly and halts before her. He stands firmly and tried to look formal for her, but the real joke here was her.

"Yes Evans?" From their position she was in line with his crotch. It disgusted her and she forced herself to meet his eyes upside down.

She tugs her lower lip at how much alike Thane looked to him. Especially those prominent brown locks.

Evan's had blue eyes unlike Thane, but still the features mostly came from Evans and the rest is unmistakably his mother.

"I would like to have a word when you are free please." Evans never spoke. Suddenly hearing him do it, is so pleasing to the ears.

"I will call you in later today? Are my chambers good enough? I don't like the chairs in this meeting room. It's too hard."

He nods quickly. "Of course Miss. Thank you."

Amd thank the Sun Gods! He left. It's the highlighted trait in silent people — they don't speak much and want to leave you as much as you want to leave them alone. They keep conversations short and sweet.

She couldn't read his face however for what could be the possible concern. Unless he knows that she went to his personal med for sleeping potions?

She will have to wait and see what he has to say.

She brings her head back up and blinks back stars clouding her vision. Too fast. She could break her damn neck like this.

With the room in silence she sees Landon frowning down at paperwork again, waiting for her.

Kaleb stands a few feet away close to the posters keeping his gaze on the opposite wall. Good guard. He looks like a puppy.

Without thinking, she flames her hand and hurls it to Landon's papers scattered before him. The wind coming in enhanced the flame and in seconds his work was flaming.

He gives her such a big open-mouthed gasp he could of sucked the entire room down his throat. "Miss! That was important work. work about you! Your plans!"

She removes her feet and now props up her chin on one hand. "It's that important?"

He fans the flaming papers and the guards has sprung into action of fanning and hitting it off with cloth, Kaleb looking the most alert out of them all. That's what happens when one is new. Some things never change around here. With her.

"Miss that was your preparations and my finished letters to Genevieve's family and letters of thanks to Mabel."

She just stares at him. "She's still here?"

"We have the last part of meditation tonight in the ballroom."

She sits up straighter confused, but just as she was about to counter her reply, Landon interrupts her.

"Hell! What now? All my work is ruined." He didn't blame it on her even though they both knew that she was being absolutely unnecessary and the fault lay entirely with her.

So why did she feel the need to apologize for her doings?

For some reason she couldn't make the words form on her lips.

Landon glances at her briefly as the guards cleaned up the ashes and resumed their positions. "Miss tell me what you wanted to tell me before we get ready for Mabel and for me to redo my work."

She opens her mouth to tell him to not work but, obviously, it won't work. He wouldn't listen. Not after she purposely destroyed vital high-priority work of his.

Cleo suddenly mad at herself and at Landon for tolerating her. Because damn she's a headache that wouldn't go away; gets up within seconds and leaves the room in a hurry.

                                                      °°°

"Really?"

Kaleb gives her a questioning gaze as he enters the kitchen to where she was sitting on the table swinging her legs, practically swallowing down chocolate cake.

She couldn't miss the opportunity that there was at least cake left to spare. If there is no cake at her ceremony she would simply not attend it, she made that clear as glass.

"What do you mean really?" She says over a mouthful of cake.

A piece falls off and onto her chest, she swabs it up and licks her finger meeting Kaleb's vivid eyes. They sparkled a light shade of emerald today.

"We were looking for you."

She rolls her eyes and throws her head back as she stuffs a big piece in her mouth. "Can everyone stomp lookimg for me?"

"Not after the way you left. Landon said to speak to him again. He is busy anyway."

"What's with men wanting to talk to me now? It was never like this."

He stands close to her and studies her closely. "Maybe you should stop running away in the first place and you'll know."

She swallows the cake and takes a sip of water from the glass she poured herself when she came into the kitchen, to wet her sudden dry throat.

She used the empty kitchen to her advantage and hopes that the cook won't get mad that she ate the cake which she is sure has to do with Mabel's last stay here at Court. They were bidding her a farewell with a little ball to thank her for her duties here. Since when was that a thing?

She had to let her gaze stray away from the moon cakes before she did something she'd regret. It was all they had left yet her Court tried to make something for Mabel. How sweet.

She had to get her mind off things and immediately came here. She was going to ask for a sleeping tea or something in that direction but when she saw the half finished decorated chocolate cake she had to dig in. But she'd make sure she leaves before the cooks came back, from their lunch bout no doubt.

She sighs after her swallow and looks at him. "Or maybe my needs should be seen to as soon as I ask for it then there will be no such thing as running away."

She smiles at him. God's. That hair.

He comes awfully close to her and rests his hands on either side of her on the edge of the wooden table where she sat. He is close enough that her crossed legs brushed his torso but unfortunately that was the only contact she felt from him.

She glimpses at his chest and back to his eyes with another big gulp.

He glances over her shoulder and back to her with a different look in his eyes.

"Did you finish half of that cake?"

"No."

"So what happened to it?"

"Something good I'm hoping."

She did eat half the cake. The cooks will be so mad. All hard work gone within seconds. Guess they just have to make a new one.

She drowns herself in Kaleb's handsome features from his unruly hair to his plump lips and right down to his thighs and dragging her gaze back up slowly.

From the short time that he has been here she couldn't help but to notice how he has changed. He didn't seem like the afraid-Kaleb, she doesn't know what changed but something has flipped him to how he is right now.

It's more attractive, but then even if he were a lost lamb she would still be attracted to him. Maybe wrongly being at that powder festival changed something in him.

"Want some?" She didn't wait for his response she flicks her finger through the sweet chocolate icing and almost immediately places her finger into his mouth like a pacifier.

He licks it off by flicking his tongue over and over her finger. His mouth is wet and insanely hot it brought lightning zapping all over her body and to pool low in her center.

His eyes darkens as he watches her becoming flushed with his expert tongue flicking her finger.

Her toes curl involuntary and she stops herself from opening her mouth in a groan.

Wait what the fuck is she doing.

Thoughts of Jezio comes into her mind, the way he kissed that girl. Him with Mira. It all made her mad all over again.

Then thoughts of Kaleb comes into her head; Kaleb didn't even want to hold her so what has coerced him into being like this.

"What's wrong?" He slips her finger out of his mouth but doesn't get out of their position.

"Nothing."

She wipes her finger on his shirt and gets her legs swinging again. She looks up at him with a pout and licks off remnants of cake stuck in her teeth. His gaze drops to that and back to hers again.

"How are things with the Village?"

To her avail he unfortunately pulls away and takes a step back. "Good. Things are good."

Was it now?

She nods. "So about the last time, apologies for how I reacted. It really is your life, you're my guard nothing else, so do as you want."

Kaleb surprisingly shakes is head. "No my duties lay here in Court-"

She slips off the table, she has been here for a while and the cooks are soon to come back — she could already hear voices outside the kitchen meaning they're close. Why did it take them so long to find her dammit? No wonder they're always looking for her. She is almost never in the same place for one day.

But the most important part of why she got off was to shut Kaleb up. She didn't have the patience or energy to listen to him and his most important duties blah blah. His real work lay here blah blah. He doesn't belong in the Village blah blah. Even though he did, she just didn't want to argue back. And best method is to avoid it before it starts.

Besides what he did wasn't her business at all. Her sole purpose with Kaleb is just to prevent him from seeing her at the Village with no other reason than the Court. Which is was happened to the both of them. But so what? It's nothing extreme. She should just let it pass. She has much more grave matters to see to than to find out why Kaleb left when he wasn't supposed to.

They all have secrets. Each and everyone. Ones that is best kept hidden.

"Let's go to Mabel's thing. I'm getting ready for more stretches and sexual movements."

Kaleb unwantinfly blushes and didn't seem in the least bothered that she interrupted his little speech. "I'm sure the purpose is to relax you before your ceremony, and not what Landon tells you it is for."

She shrugs as they leave the kitchen. She skims the area the way she does when she meets Jezio in the Markets. "Well either way. It's fucking stupid."

Kaleb's laugh is the last thing that echoed in the pathway they walked through.