My Wonderful Second Life

Chapter 61- Discord at the Throne Room

Warning: The following chapter may contain violent scenes.

The smoke was intense, even outside the walls. The flames were hot and dangerously alluring. A sea of chaos was around, spilling everywhere as my mind raced with it. Panic brought questions and actions and I moved into the building's direction, afraid for the people inside. My friends, my family and everyone else.

A pair of firm hands grabbed my shoulders. "My Lady you cannot..."

I did not look to see who was behind me. It sounded like Josef, but I did not care enough to move my eyes away from the fire. Instead, I fought those hands, as if they were chains trying to imprison me. I fought, and I fought, although I was still too small to wrestle away from those hands.

I fought until I heard a voice calling me.

It was Jenni, looking like a mess, her hair in disarray, her face splashed with ash and her dress ripped in numerous ways. But there was nothing on her more than a few scratches. I heard voices and words, but I did not register them. I saw the girls coming from behind Jenni, looking very much like her. And in Amelia's cupped hands, I saw princess Lola jumping, all her legs intact.

My vision blurred from the smoke, from the panic. I heard Gobbie ordering people around. I felt the cold coming and freezing the blazing Inferno. Amid all the chaos, I ran to Jennifer and the girls and I hugged as many as I could, letting relief anchor my actions.

Letting myself cry.

***

One need not to be a genius to know who was to blame for this fire. And as the first rays struck my skin on the morning of our presentation, my fury grew.

No one was able or wanted to provide me with any information in relation to the fire. Only that it had started in a storage room near our office. Thankfully, I knew of no deaths, only some minor burns.

The south offices, however... had burned.

And everything inside had turned into ashes. I was sure princess Odette must be sleeping in blissful happiness, thinking she had successfully ruined our chances.

Well, princess Odette did not account for the copies we did of every single piece of paper that was deemed important and then sent away from the palace. Separated into our houses, to be joined in case of foul play.

Because while I had thought, hoped, that the hellish princess would be too arrogant and too trusting of her "birthright" to do anything but whine to her brother and father for a chance, I was no fool. And only fools trusted other fools. Specially vengeful ones.

More than to take back what she thought was hers, she wanted us to fail. No matter what.

I would have to take on her challenge and prove to that hellish shit that it would take much more than this to stop me. And that I would see for myself that she failed in front of everyone.

In her eyes, it would be the ultimate humiliation.

***

It was midmorning. The sun was high, and the wind was low. Yet the hot air did not bite. We, me and the girls, entered the main entrance of the parliament house. Or the throne room, as it was mostly called.

The building was round, huge, and had a gold dome as a ceiling. There was only one room at its center, and before, a hallway that encircled it.

From it, I could see the dome's edges, marveling at its surprising transparency. Yet compared to every place I had come across at this palace, the inside of the building had a certain bleakness.