butterflies | ✓

belie.

Lily proved to be an excellent storyteller and was quite comical. We became fast friends. When we entered the Women's Room after our conversation in the library, Lexona seemed quite surprised to see her sister and I getting along well. Lily all but dragged me over to sit by her sisters and cousins.

"Lily," Lexona said in surprise, "I thought you weren't a fan of Lady Lysel."

"That was prior to actually meeting her," Lily replied with an eye roll.

Clara shook her head. Some blonde hair has escaped the neat knot at the back of her head, and it framed her face in dark blonde waves. "Who would have known that you only had to meet the poor girl to suddenly enjoy her presence? Why, if I had known that, I would have had Tatiana introduce you to her sooner!"

At the sound of her name, Tatiana looked up. She gave me a grin. She was missing two of her front teeth. "Lysel!" She rushed over and wrapped her arms around me. She pulled back before I could return the hug and turned to Lily, crossing her arms over her skinny chest and scowling at her older cousin. "You weren't mean to her, were you?" She demanded.

Lily threw her head back and laughed. She ruffled her cousin's short hair. "Oh, little one. I only insulted dear Lady Lysel a little bit."

"A little bit, my ass." Clara scoffed under her breath.

"Clara!" Lexona exclaimed, shooting her cousin a horrified look. "Not around the children!"

Tatiana giggled. "Ooooooh, Clara swore! I'm telling Mummy!" She turned and ran to where her mother and her aunt sat, quietly chatting.

Lily shook her head. "Nine years old and she still thinks she's a damn Brit."

I laughed.

Lexona glared at her sister. "In case you've forgotten, our twelve-year-old sister is right here."

Mickenna looked up from her cross-stitch, aqua eyes wide. "Huh?"

"Lily is swearing again." Lexona didn't take her furious gaze off of Lily.

Mickenna giggled. "I'm sure that I've heard Gabriel say worse when he rants about the Selection. I'm pretty sure he said the word fu-"

"You stop it right there, Missy." Clara raised her eyebrows at her cousin. "And stop eavesdropping on mine and Gabriel's conversations. It's rude."

Lily leaned towards me, her expression odd. "Don't look now, but Ulani and Nimah are looking over here."

"I don't know who they are." I said.

"They're the ones from Honduragua and Likely," Lily explained. "They're two of the ones set on the crown, not love. Nimah is a Two and Ulani is a Three. Didn't you bother to learn the names of the girls you're competing against?"

"Competing," I scoffed. "I'm not doing anything of the sort. They can compete all they want, but I won't play such petty games. Your brother will fall in love with whomever he chooses, and nothing we can do will sway him."

"How wise of you," Lexona said sourly, looking over towards the other girls. "It seems that the other girls don't realize this."

"They're either worried about becoming Ones or stealing Gabriel's heart," Clara announced bitterly. "I don't think they realize just how high his walls are built. Even you, Lady Lysel, probably don't."

"I don't," I agreed, allowing my eyes to drift over the other Selected. "But I know why he built them up."

"You do realize that my brother isn't the only reason, don't you?" Lily asked softly.

"Of course," I turn to look at them. "I was told the story. Gabriel confirmed it."

They all stiffened.

Clara stared at me in horror. "How did you hear it?"

"Your father," I said softly. "He said that I was...that I was different. He could tell because Gabriel brought me into that one room, the one that he referred to as his safe place. Your father said that Gabriel wouldn't have even considered bringing me in there unless I was something special."

"And you asked Gabriel about the story?" Lexona asked.

I nodded. "He laughed it off. Denied it, at first. But I knew that he was lying, and I could see how it was affecting him, keeping it in all of the time. He admitted it, and I comforted him. That's when you walked by, Princess Lily."

Lily's mouth formed a small o. "That's why he looked so distraught? I thought you were antagonizing him, Lady Lysel. I apologize."

I shook my head. "It's perfectly fine, Princess Lily."

Clara stared at me in worry and surprise. "You...you know? And still you haven't asked to be sent home?"

"We all have skeletons in our closets, Princess Clara," I remarked, "and mine are much worse than his."

Lexona looked baffled.

I tilted my head to the side, studying her and Clara. "You two don't know?" I looked to Lily for an answer.

"I didn't tell anyone," Lily said. "As I told you, it's your skeleton. Pull it out when you see fit."

I replied, voice terrible, "Is never an option?" My attempt at a joke fell flat.

Lily simply shook her head.

Clara reached over and rested a hand over mine, giving me a sweet smile. "I'm sure that whatever it is, Lady Lysel, it cannot be as bad as we could imagine. And Gabriel will not judge you based off of the past—it is, after all, in the past, and this is the present."

"Are you sure?" I asked. I needed the assurance that someone could accept me for what I was, for the words on paper that claimed I had done something nearly permanent.

"I'm positive," She said and leaned back. I brightened a little, but the dark feeling still lingered. What if she's wrong?