Serena rubbed her hands against her skirt and stared at Charlotte, she was not sure what was the appropriate response to her declaration. Her gaze drifted to the floor, and she let out a quiet sigh through her nose. Charlotte to her was the type that had their sights on one thing and never relented until they had achieved their goal.
Her goal was to make sure that epitome of excellence that Crimsonclaw was known for or at least to act like to the people who had never met an Eastern wolf and to unnerve the Dawnbreak party that would be arriving soon. Finally, Serena ran her hand through her hair and she ran into a knot and tugged painfully through her hair.
"Your faith in me? Where does it come from?" Serena asked. Thɪs chapter is updated by novel⚑fire.net
"It comes from the thought of getting paid so much that my winter will be spent sleeping all day," Charlotte said simply, without a hint of shame.
At the answer, Serena’s shoulders fell. She was half-expecting some noble answer that would raise her spirits or pet her ego, not this. Of course she was getting paid, why else was she this eager? Charlotte must have been so trustworthy that she was let into a secret that may ruin Ironshade.
"I see. I will do my best to work with you as long as you do not go horsing around and lifting me off the ground," Serena declared.
Charlotte lifted a brow and scoffed. "You do not make the rules here, little lady. I let you off the hook, you can not best me in a fight."
Serena bit the inside of her cheek, she was mostly right. She figured she could only win a fight against Charlotte if she caught the other woman off guard or used a dirty trick. A dirty trick might even work on the likes of her, Darius had told her that she lived in the border towns if she was remembering correctly.
The blonde woman rarely felt her social skills were lacking but when it came to Charlotte and most people in Ironshade she felt useless and awkward. With Charlotte it was a mixed bag, it was obvious that she thought of her as rogue like the rest, even calling her a killer multiple times but somehow at the same time she did not seem fazed by the concocted lie.
"Perhaps I can," Serena said, raising her chin a little.
Charlotte clicked her tongue and chuckled this time. "If that will help you sleep tonight then be my guest."
Serena exhaled slowly and stepped over to the window. The hinges gave a faint creak as she pushed it open wider. A cool draft slipped in, brushing against her flushed face. She glanced back at Charlotte, who remained seated, more focused on the wall in front of her than anything else.
"How does one win your favor?" Serena asked, watching the other woman out of the corner of her eye.
"Well," Charlotte drawled, "not by asking questions. That’ll rarely get you anywhere. You have to take it."
Serena hesitated. "So how do I take your name?"
The other woman finally looked at Serena and placed her hand on her chin. "This is pointless, I will not tell you because it is unnecessary for starters. And besides, you seem like a terrible liar so who is to say you will not mix up both names if I give you my real one."
"Right," Serena said in a defeated tone. "I am not a child."
Charlotte’s brows pinched and then a laugh slipped from her lips. "Who said you are a child?"
"It is the way you and everyone else treats me. I am not a bumbling idiot," Serena spat out in a frustrated voice.
The curly-haired woman merely shrugged, stretching out her legs with lazy ease, as if none of this truly mattered. Serena looked at her face properly for once in the fading light, the last rays of sun caught the freckles dotting her entire face, not just across her cheeks. They made her look younger, deceptively gentle, though her eyes gave nothing away. Serena had never met anyone like her.
"You present yourself as one," Charlotte replied. "It is your fault you are treated like that."
"Then what do you suggest?" Serena asked, crossing her arms.
"Pfft," Charlotte exhaled, waving a hand as if batting away a bothersome gnat. "That eludes me. I can’t put myself in your shoes. You’re the rogue here, not I."
Serena’s lips tugged down in a frown and she huffed and walked over to her desk. Everyone expected her to act in a certain way, do this, say this. It was getting awfully hard on her head, this was not the life she imagined she would live. She just wanted a quiet life, settle down with a husband and have two children, maybe even three.
Not this fiasco that had everyone pulling her hands in whichever direction. It almost made her want to tear her hair out and added to this mix was this dreadfully annoying woman.
Serena blew the strand of hair in front of her face and huffed. Oh how she missed Annamarie. She wanted a walk, she wanted to leave until these negotiations were over.
She closed her eyes briefly, but a promise was a promise. She glanced at Charlotte who made no motion of moving from her spot.
"What, you want to sleep in my bed?" Serena asked.
"Is that an invitation?" Charlotte shot back.
Serena tsked and walked over to the other woman. "I have no idea what to do with you. The general sent you over to make my situation more believable."
"That is true. Look, this will all fall apart if your spine is soft, you need to be the attention of the room. This should not be hard for you, you already command it, your voice is just weak."
Serena frowned and turned away with a sigh. "How is it weak?"
"You squirm. You look away the moment someone challenges you. You can pretend, can’t you? You’ve been pretending all this time, why is this so hard for you?" Charlotte’s voice sharpened as it rose, like she couldn’t quite help the irritation slipping through.
Serena played with the hem of her skirt, just not long ago she had hurt her head and was trying to pull away from Charlotte. In that moment her fear felt so real, so tangible that she could almost taste it.
She bit her lip and blinked rapidly, her eyes welled with tears. Serena felt ashamed that she was crying in such a moment . Of course, Charlotte and the rest would think she was a bumbling idiot.
"It is not fair," Serena choked.