Stars and Diamonds

Chapter 57: Inevitable Pt 1

The clouds hug low, packed together so tightly in the sky that they created large puffy masses that obstructed the sunlight, filtering it through haze. The lack of good light cast on the neon city left everything feeling gray and dreary.

Or perhaps it was the nervous energy that stifled the upper portions of the city where White Diamond's headquarters resided, the distress bleeding into the ongoings of the rest of the three court's corners. It wouldn't quite be an overstatement to say everyone in the palace was on edge, as it wasn't a secret that White Diamond was in one of her moods. That mood that had every gem double checking their work for mistakes, agitated and walking extra quietly through the halls as to not draw attention to themselves. No one, least of all a low ranking gem, wanted White Diamond's ire focused on them.

It hadn't become gossip yet as to what, or who, had set their leader off, but they didn't envy it, for surely it had been their last mistake.

"Orange Diamond?"

The young diamond jumped, the hard cased pad in her hand clattering to the stone desktop as she swiveled around in her chair, leaning her upper body over the arm to see who had called her name in the blocked off silence of her room. "Pearl?"

White's Pearl stood on the raised platform in front of the closed doors, hands clasped behind her back and standing ramrod straight, her expression remained neutral if a little strained as she spoke, "Your presence is required."

Orange turned to glance over her shoulder, eyes falling on the multiple open text-filled screens she had up and then back at Pearl. If she had a heart, she imagined it would be pounding at the look of seriousness on her face, though the strain her anxiety was putting on her gem more than made up for it. Not a hint of her friend was present before her, only the professional servant, both of them knowing she was here to deliver her to White for what she had done the day before. It had only been a matter of time before Pearl collected her, though she hadn't expected an entire day to pass before it happened, and not seeing Pearl that night had only made it worse. So throwing herself into her work had seemed to be the reasonable thing to do while she simply killed time.

The young diamond gave her a small nod of acknowledgement, standing up and turning back to her desk. "Just a moment, so I can this all away."

Going one by one, she saved her work and dismissed the screen, watching it fizz out of existence before moving on to the next, pointedly buying time to gather herself before facing White. All the while, Pearl remained waiting at the door, eyes on the larger gem's back as she did her silent task.

In hindsight,Orange could acknowledge it had been stupid, petty, and right after Blue Diamond had tried to warn her from doing anything to upset White too. Perhaps Blue was right all along and she really didn't know how to listen. Wouldn't that just be amusingly hypocritical of her?

But as guilty as she felt for failing to heed Blue's words, she didn't feel bad about what she did. That pearl, as far as she was concerned, had it coming. Her smug attitude was one thing, but following her around? How long had she been tailing her? What had she seen?

Not enough, she supposed, or she would have heard from White Diamond much sooner. Or was that a sign White didn't condemn her time with her Pearl? It's not like she could ask, unfortunately, least she potentially rat herself out. Sure, in her more introspective moments she might have considered herself ignorant at times, maybe a little naive or foolhardy, but never would she say she was stupid. White was not like Pink, and she did not expect the best outcomes when it came to mingling with what their society would consider a low-class gem. Questions like that would only be a one way ticket to getting Pearl shattered, and that, Orange could not live with, she much rather simply not knowing.