Artemis' POV

I'm sitting on the floor, papers strewn around me as I try to get myself caught up in the Kaulike Royal Family politics that I've missed over the last two years.

As much as it hasn't been anything major when it comes to effecting the people, I'm no fool to say that things are the same as when I left, especially within the castle. I've only been back for a day and a half and while I haven't talked to that many people since I've been back, the aura of this place feels darker and sinister.

There's something going on here, just like Chelsea said, but I think it might go deeper than either of us originally thought. And that's bad.

My mother plus aunt and Suzi is bad enough without the added stress of a evil presence lurking through the halls.

I give up on the papers around me and decide to go find my brother, knowing that though his arse is lazy and dull, he is keen on finding out information faster than I've ever been able to.

It's either because those around us know that he's not interested in the least bit or politics, or he takes pillow talk to a whole new level. Secrets have a way of finding my dear brother and I can't tell if people are alarmingly smart or annoying dumb to entrust him with any sort of secret, something I have never done myself.

Though it's not because I don't trust him.

In reality, the sad part is, I know he doesn't really care about what goes on in the legal world and so in turn, he doesn't care about me.

Besides, Mother has always preferred my brother to me, even if he's a white that sleeps around with anything with two legs. Even if he wears what he wants to Court and tells the most important people we have to fuck off.

It's been this way since I was a child and you would think, after so long it wouldn't be nearly as a stinging and annoying as it was then. But it is, and it bites so much harder now that I can understand just how deep it goes. I noticed that no matter what I do or how I do it, Jasper will always do it better, even if he does nothing at all.

I sigh as I gather my skirts from around me, trying to get used to wearing the dreadful clothing now that I'm supposed to be embracing the role of the Crown Princess. I make sure my appearance is up to standards that my Mother has made sure I've followed to a T before I even think about leaving my rooms. I open up my door, walking out into the hall in flats, not ready to force myself into heels again.

After I close the door behind me and lock it with my magic, I head down the halls, nodding to a few of the staff at curtesy at me, though it's never stopped making me uncomfortable in all my twenty years of having it done.

I finally reach my brothers room and I think about incoming since I haven't been around i two years, but since he's my brother and I don't care, I walk into the room, easily pushing aside the lock.

When I open the door, I'm met with clothes everywhere, but luckily, no old food lying about making his room smell slightly better than the last time I came here to say goodbye. Graceful, his royal laziness is sleeping in the couch, not another body in sight.

I step over one of his hoodies, ignoring the annoyance within me at his allowance to wear what he wishes while I'm stuck with barbie dresses.

And like the loving sister I am, I grab a lose pillow and snatch it off the floor, hitting Jasper in the face with it with my award winning smile, majestic and suave as ever. He groans and tried to snatch the pillow from my hands but I don't let him, holding it higher than he can reach.

That's a lie, he can reach it, he's just way too lazy for his own good.

"Arise, my dearest brother, you favorite sister is here." I call to him and he peaks open his eye closest to me, his arm covering the other as he tries to shield out the light coming form outside.

"The only thing you're my favorite of, is nuisance. Get out." He tells me and I feel so welcomed by his enthusiasm of my arrival.

I roll my eyes before I go to sit on his lap, his legs long as they stretch on the large couch and I cross my legs like so to remain proper as my brother groans.

"You've gotten fat, not smarter, I see. What do you want?" He grunts and I hun to myself as I try to think about what to ask him.

"I need to ask you about what I've missed while I was away." I tell him and there's a pause that makes me think he's fallen asleep before he answers, his voice no longer sleepy nor annoyed though his eyes are back closed and his face looks as relaxed as ever.

"I'm sure there's record of anything the Court has changed while you've been away, though I know that Mom could give you a batter description than I." He evades and it makes me frown, knowing that he knows what I'm talking about.

"I looked at the records. But I want to know other stuff. What other things did I miss. The gossip, the fights the arguments. I need to know." I press him and he doesn't answer me.

I frown to myself, knowing that this isn't an unusual request but my brother is surprisingly tight lipped about what's been going on while I was away.

I roll my eyes however when it appears hes went to sleep and stand up from his legs, huffing to myself in annoyance at the fact that some things, like Jasper being an incurable asshole, just never change no matter how bad you want them to.

Just as I'm heading towards the door, his voice raises again and it catches me off guard since I though he has slipped back to sleep.

"Nothing happened while you were away. It would be a waste of time to go asking questions about it, okay? Just focus on the Crown." He tells me and it makes the back of my hair stand up which I ignore.

Whatever Jasper has had going on since I left, it's made him weird and undeniably creepy, no doubt to mess with me as he always does.

Not paying any mind to the asshole, I make my way out of his rooms, making sure to lock the door back behind me before I check the time on my phone that was hidden away in the pocket of my dress.

Seeing that I have ten minutes left, I quickly walk through the castle, letting the wind silence my footfalls, my shoes touching the air cushion between my foot and the ground.

Always a useful tool for when I need to run in heels or just don't want people to know I'm coming.

I arrive around the corner from Court and let my feet touch the ground reluctantly, pushing my shoulder back and lowering my chin before I press a fake smile on to my lips and walk around the corner, everyone immediately turning towards me with awed whispers.

It's the first time I will be attending a full Court since I returned, the one yesterday purely for the most Elite families and my own.

The crowd makes room for me to enter into the room and I cringe as all eyes continue to remain on me until I catch sight of Chelsea who walks towards me, a soft smile painted on her face as well. When she comes up towards me, he smiles falters, if only a little in panic.

"I was wondering where you went. I stopped by to pick you up but you weren't there." She accuses me and I give her my best calming smile.

"I went to go speak with Jasper, but he's acting strange." I tell her, confusing leaking into my face and words as I think about our interaction.

"Weird? Weird how?" Chelsea asks me and I take a step back form her suddenly close body and given ear a similar frown I gave my brother.

"Similar to you. Is there something I should know?" I ask her and she waves towards one of her Noble friend before turning towards me with the best poker face I've ever seen her wear. She's absolutely shit at them.

"No, Art, we're fine." She tells me but something doesn't feel right and it seems as if something happened while I was away.

Looks like this princess needs to brush up on her sneaking skills.

~~~~~~~~~
Whew I'm getting slinky tired but I know I can push through this and then be sleep aaallll night. If I gts now while it's dark outside, I won't wake up.

Actually I change my mind because my fatigue hit me like a truck. I'll do the other two promised chapters in the morning. Normally I would feel guilty about this, but I have tomorrow off and I know you guys understand.

Thoughts?

Comments?

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