"Not even once! Who knows how many—" Liora continued to speak, but Aria would’ve been damned to let her finish. She walked right up to her sister’s face and snapped, cutting her off mid-sentence before whatever else came spewing out of her mouth.
"Don’t you dare!" Aria hissed, her voice low and sharp with fury. "Why do you think you’re no longer wearing the servant’s uniform?" she asked, her face reddening with rage as she held Liora’s gaze firmly, without blinking.
"Do you think the clothes you got and the money just dropped from heaven? Do you think God Himself provided it?" she growled, her voice rising with each word, chest rising and falling in fury.
"Yes, I slept with him! What else was I supposed to do? Kill him with the magical powers I don’t have? Or with the strength of my hands?!" she screamed, fists clenched, even as tears pooled in her eyes and heat flushed through her cheeks.
"Stab him in the heart because he’s so slow and I’m so fast? I poisoned him with silver, and even that didn’t work!"
"What??" Aria snapped again, voice blazing now, eyes nearly wild. "If you were in my place, you would have done better? Go ahead, TELL ME! What would you have done?!" she roared, so loudly that Rymora flinched from across the room—but even then, Aria didn’t back down.
She was furious. Beyond furious. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her whole body tense as she stared at Liora, who, to her credit, now looked like she regretted everything she had said.
"I—I’m sorry!" Liora finally let out, her voice trembling as her lips quivered. "I was just angry. The things I had to do as a servant..." she trailed off, eyes filling with tears. "I thought you were living the life while I was washing toilets!" she admitted, voice cracking, broken by guilt and shame.
Only then did Aria finally back off, jaw clenched as she turned toward the wardrobe, furious, snatching a towel and drying her damp red hair as she began to look for something to wear.
"If I tell you not to do something, I expect you to listen to me," Aria clarified coldly, making sure Liora understood the boundary she had just crossed.
Rymora, who had been silent the entire time, had taken several steps back—so far that her back was nearly touching the wall. She didn’t dare step between the sisters as their yelling escalated. Her only worry was that the guards might overhear—but thankfully, nothing they said was treasonous enough to earn decapitation if Zyren found out.
Aria finally pulled on a short, shimmering black dress and sat down on the bed, still catching her breath. Her voice was calmer now, though her anger still lingered.
"You’ve gotten the money and a new place to live?" Aria asked in a quieter tone, brushing her fingers over her dress to smooth it.
"Yes. It’s more than enough," Liora replied, stepping away from the right side of the room, her voice softer now. "I’ve also been given enough money to start a business."
Aria nodded slowly, her eyes thoughtful as she looked at her sister.
"Your main goal is to make enough money to find a safe place to live," she said with low intensity, about to continue when Liora suddenly gestured toward Rymora, silently pointing at her with a distrustful look.
"She can be trusted," Aria answered before the look could become a word. "Rymora can speak, so I know she has secrets of her own," she added firmly, watching Rymora jerk her head up so fast it was like a whip cracking in the air.
Liora looked just as surprised, blinking at the confession, while Rymora rapidly shook her head to deny it.
Aria ignored the denial and was about to go on when Liora spoke again, unwilling to drop the matter.
"Speak, then! Say something! If we’re going to talk about our plans in front of her, then—"
"Drop it, Liora. We have more important things to talk about," Aria said, trying to steer the conversation back, but Liora snapped back, exasperated.
"What could be more important than ensuring we’re not harboring a traitor who would reveal our plans at the slightest—"
But she didn’t get to finish.
"I think Mother is alive," Aria said abruptly.
Liora froze, her mouth falling open like she had just been doused in freezing water. Her arms fell to her sides, eyes wide in disbelief, her breath caught mid-sentence.
"What?" she whispered.
"What are you trying to say? I saw her get taken!" Liora continued, her voice uncertain, a deep frown carving into her forehead. "There is no way..."
"I saw her, Liora. I’m sure," Aria repeated, her voice shaking a little. "I thought I was mistaken, but the longer I thought about it, the more confident I became." Her voice cracked slightly. "Mother is alive!"
"This is not just about us anymore. We have to find her and make sure she’s safe," Aria continued softly, her voice filled with conviction. "Whatever I do... I’m doing it for us. For our family."
She balled her fists over her lap as she sat on the bed, repeating the words under her breath.
Everything I do is for us and our family, she told herself again and again, needing to believe it as much as she needed Liora to.
Liora’s dazed expression remained, but she gave a slow, cautious nod. Lipra—who had remained silent—moved closer to Aria, her face serious.
"I understand," she said after a long pause. "As long as you remember that he’s the enemy who burned our village to the ground—and you don’t forget it—you can sleep with him."
Aria didn’t like her sister’s tone. It was bitter, sharp, condescending. But she let it go. Deep down, she knew she herself needed the reminder. She had to stay focused—not get lost in the warmth of Zyren’s touch or the way he held her like no one else had.
Thoughts of him plagued her constantly. His scent, his voice, his cold hands against her heated skin. Sometimes, sleeping with him was all she could think about. And her dreams...
Her dreams were filled with him thrusting into her in ways that made her feel shameful—and yet she yearned for more.
"If sleeping with him gets us benefits, then there’s no reason not to do it," Liora continued, blunt as ever, even as Aria gave a small nod and let out a long breath.
Yeah... but he doesn’t seem to want to do it again though, she thought, heart sinking a little, remembering the distant look in Zyren’s eyes. He hadn’t even glanced at her like he used to. Like he wanted her.
Aria spoke with Liora a little longer before her sister finally took her leave. They had agreed on the next time they would meet. No more arguments—at least for now.
Rymora didn’t spare a glance at Liora as she walked past and shut the door behind her. Instead, her focus was on Aria, her face dark with a deep, unreadable frown.
Her eyes said it all—conflicted emotions stirring behind them.
And maybe, just maybe, one of those emotions was violence.