Interlude [h.s]

ninety-two

"And the princess discovered the prince had a kind side too, so she fell in love with him even though he was the villain. But he was handsome, so it didn't matter."

Alouette's eyes blink open as the narration of the most absurd fairytale she's ever heard comes to an end. "Ami?" she mumbles, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "You're already awake?"

Amina looks up. "I slept in the car yesterday." She's sitting on the floor in front of the window; the lights of Northfair shine in her dark eyes. Three toilet-paper boats are in front of her, and another is half-folded in the making under her fingers. Somehow, Alouette believes her choice of hobby has Harry written all over it.

Alouette runs her fingers through her hair to try to sort out the tangled mess they turned into while she was sleeping. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

Amina shrugs. "I didn't want you to leave."

Alouette's heart drops. "I wouldn't."

"But you do." Her sister holds up one of the paper boats. "You come back, though. You always come back. Betty is so jealous that I'm in the city of lights and she's not. That's what she gets for saying you wouldn't come back."

Alouette snorts out a laugh and gets in the bathroom to get ready for the day. "What do you want to do today?" she asks her sister through the door left ajar. "I don't think we can leave the Palace, I'm sorry. It isn't safe."

"Is there a roof like the one at home?"

Alouette hums. "There is. We can go there after dinner, it's prettiest at night."

There's a knock at the bedroom door.

"Ah it's probably Jesse, can you open the door?" she tells Amina, closing the bathroom door as the one of the bedroom opens. Alouette finishes getting ready and puts on a change of clothes—this time, it's a cream-white pantsuit she has no doubt Evie has had a hand in choosing. She glances at her reflection in the mirror and fixes her makeup one last time before opening the door as she puts on a pair of high heels.

She halts when she sees Jayden sitting at the foot of her bed. This time, he's ditched his black uniform to wear a black suit, as Harry's personal guard often does, the gold badge on his jacket signalling his position within the hierarchy of the Palace all the same. He stands up quickly in the instant he sees her.

"His hair is cool," Amina tells her, looking at him. Jayden's copper waves glint in the pink light coming from the window as he glances down at her curiously. "Betty has an orange cat like that. He tried jumping through a closed window three days ago."

Jayden raises his eyebrows, looking like he isn't certain whether he should feel offended or not.

"Orange cats always do the weirdest things," Amina continues, undaunted. "He pooped in the classroom two weeks ago too. The teacher had to pull it up with a page from my exercise book. Betty cried."

Jayden looks at Alouette. "Your sister, I imagine." It's the first time she doesn't hear resentment in his voice when he talks to her.

She nods and clears her throat. "Why are you here?"

The usual cloud washes back over his features. "The President has scheduled an urgent meeting for this morning. You're to get to the meeting room as soon as possible."

"Are you doubling as his messenger now?" Alouette asks, half sarcastically, pressing her lips together when she realises what a foolish thing it was to say while he's still angry as her.

Jayden's gaze darkens, and even his copper hair seems to turn brown with his annoyance. "I was available."

"Right." Alouette glances between him and the door, and then at Amina. A quick decision is made. "I'll go right away, then. I'm sorry, Ami, I don't think I'll be able to join you for breakfast. I'll make time before lunch though, I promise." She makes for the door, her heels tapping on the floor.