As soon as I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, trying to collect my thoughts, a familiar angry voice shot out from the darkness:

"Where've ya been for crying out loud?! I thought you was snatched up by some bloomin' shadow monster or... or worse!" Papagalino jumped out from the corner of the room, his feathers ruffled, eyes blazing with anger.

I flinched, staring at him. "Papagalino, you scared me!"

"Me, scare you? How do you think I felt, sitting here, wondering if I'd have to explain to the Queen where her new concubine had disappeared to? Maybe you were already locked in some dungeon!" His hands flapped like wings such drama that I felt a small breeze.

I tried to smile. "Well, I... was just kinda exploring the castle...or something."

"Exploring?" He narrowed his eyes. "Or got lost like a simpleton?" He shook his head, hiding a smirk. "Trouble always finds you, huh?"

"Hey, it's not my fault all the corridors look the same here!" I crossed my arms, but that only seemed to amuse him more.

"Alright, spill it. Where were you?" he demanded, sitting on the armrest of the chair, his gaze still sharp.

I sighed heavily and began, "The flute... it khm... kinda fell and rolled into a passage in the wall. I crawled after it and ended up in the Queen's chambers. And... the White Concubine was there too." I smirked. "She stormed in completely naked."

Papagalino blinked, his expression shifting between disbelief and fascination. "No way... You're serious? How's she? Hot?"

I sincerely nodded remembering Lady Fari's naked body. "Yeah, but she was caught off guard and well... humiliated."

Papagalino let out a low whistle, clearly impressed. "Well, well, looks like things are heating up. And what did the Queen do?"

I hesitated, then added, almost as an afterthought, "We... we kissed... again. I mean, I kissed her this time."

His eyes lit up, and a mischievous grin spread across his face. "Oh, so you're a sly fox, little Miss Vixen, huh? You played your cards well. Got her attention, did you?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, genuinely confused by his tone.

He laughed. "You know exactly what I mean. You're smarter than you look."

I blinked, not understanding his insinuations. "I really don't."

Papagalino sighed, his grin turning into a calculating smirk. "Alright, keep playing that innocent act if you like, but here's what we're going to do. You need to keep charming the Queen with that naive, sweet demeanor of yours. It's clearly working. Good job!"

I frowned. "I'm not trying to charm anyone. I just want to go home."

"Sure, sure." He waved a hand dismissively. "But for now, tomorrow there's going to be a royal lunch, according to the servants' gossip. And you're going to look stunning. You need to impress Her Majesty."

"I don't want to do that," I muttered.

"Well, think about the consequences if you don't," he said, his eyes narrowing. "If the other concubines become her favorites, they'll have all the power, and we'll be out in the cold — or worse."

His words sent a shiver down my spine. The thought of being pushed aside or outmaneuvered by the other concubines wasn't appealing, but neither was the idea of becoming someone's pawn. Still, I nodded reluctantly.

Satisfied, Papagalino stretched and flopped onto the couch with a smug grin. "That's the spirit. Just follow my lead, and everything will be fine. Your humble servant Papagalino will help you!"

He covered himself with a blanket and was soon dozing off, looking oddly content.

I, on the other hand, lay down in bed, clutching the flute to my chest. But sleep wouldn't come. My thoughts swirled with everything that had happened — the Queen's kiss, the encounter with Lady Fari, and Papagalino's insistence that I play along.

As I stared up at the ceiling, the weight of the situation pressed down on me, and I knew it would be a long night.

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