Chapter 8: 007 ※ Next Steps [III]
I rested my hands on her shoulders, "Come on, I'm not pranking you, Kate. I mean every word I said."
It's embarrassing that she thought I was joking about this, about not believing in my twin anymore. I wonder how Valerian will react. After all our arguments, will he even believe me? He'd been right all along—and I'd been too blind to see it. The thought of finally proving to him that I'm not Dalilah's shadow anymore both thrills and terrifies me.
"What?" She touched my forehead with both of her hands, twice. "But you don't have a fever!"
"Ha ha, hilarious, Kate. Oh, my Goddess, you're a real comedian," I mocked and she rolled her eyes. "Believe in me, Kate! I'm telling the truth."
Sigh, "It's just that you've protected her so many times to the point where you've even quarreled with Prince Valerian when he tried bringing that up… Even I tried talking to you about it before," I was dumb to not listen to any of them.
If I had trusted their words back there, maybe things wouldn't have turned upside down as it happened in the end. Maybe my life would have been different, happy. And Val wouldn't have died by my hands because of our sister… neither would father and anyone else.
Nevertheless thinking about all of that now won't do me any good. It'll only make me suffer more. I can't wipe out what happened from that timeline or my mind. Moreover, I didn't get a second chance at life just to keep lamenting and reminiscing about my past life. I'm back to life so I won't let myself be brainwashed, neither Valerian gets killed nor Dalilah engulf the world in the blood of the innocents.
"I'm just tired of her. I confess that the nightmare I had this night played a role in my change of mind because the end of everything started with her. And you know the powers our dreams hold, and that they might be a signal from the Goddess. So yeah, I can't let her fool me anymore," I let the resentment seep into my voice, hoping she'll finally see how serious I am.
Saying it out loud felt strange—like releasing a secret I'd been holding onto for too long. It was both terrifying and freeing. For so long, I'd defended Dalilah, even to myself. But now... now, I can't afford to lie to myself anymore.
After a long moment of suspicious silence, Kate laughed, her features softening with relief. "You don't have any idea of how long I've waited for this moment! Damn, Princess, it took you long enough. Finally, you are opening your eyes and seeing that venomous snake for what she is."
"Don't worry, Kate. My beautiful eyes are wide awake now! But tell me, what took you so long to come here? Was it my mom again?" Her facial expression got darker, becoming an answer by itself.
Sighing, she said, "Yes. She hates me so much, Princess, and I don't get the reason for that. I've never done anything against her. Well… besides badmouthing her with you. Which she deserves it," that made me laugh.
"It's obvious why Kate. Mother despises you because you treat me like a daughter—and because she loathes me," I rolled my shoulders, to show her that any of that fazed me. "She's quite easy to read."
"Her excellency is absurdly unreasonable! What's wrong with her? How can she scorn her daughter because of something that is out of anybody's control?" I wouldn't use those words, once my condition is someone's doing. "How can she call herself a mother? Ugh, why doesn't the Grand Duke do something about that? He can't be dense to the point of not realizing how harsh your mother is to you!"
I smiled kindly at her, holding her hands, "It's okay, Kate. Don't get so worked up about that. Father doesn't have the time to pay attention to me, I'm okay with that at this point. He doesn't know how my mom is because he isn't around to notice it. Moreover, he becomes blind when it's about her, so it is not like we can do anything about that."
"But, Princess," Kate started, but I cut her off with a smile.
"Come on, Kate. You know that thinking about that won't take us anywhere. Now, tell me, is my dad here today?" By the look on her face I could tell that she didn't want to let go of that matter, but she did it either way.
A nod, "Yes! His Excellency is in the private breakfast chambers, with Her Excellency and your siblings," good. "Are you planning on having breakfast with them?"
"Indeed."
"What else are you planning, Princess?" Her tone was absurdly suspicious, making me burst into laughter.
I have to be careful. Mother and Dalilah wouldn't try anything overt with Father in the room, but they are masters of subtlety, different from Octavian. This breakfast will be the first real test of my new resolve. I have to tread lightly—and yet, I can't afford to hold back.
"If you say it like that it makes me look like a person who's always planning to do something," which is kind of true.
Kate arched her eyebrows, "And you are!"
"Well, you have a point. Moreover, you will know about it later. Just stay outside the door of the breakfast chambers and listen to what I'm going to say," she agreed, nodding. "In the meanwhile, ask Yoostaf to prepare a tray full of cookies, please."
"I'll do as you said. But will you be okay eating with them alone?" Yes. "If you're planning to take a stand, Princess, you know they'll notice. Dalilah and your mother are sharp—they'll catch on quick. Do you know what you'll do if they try to undercut you in front of his Excellency?"
"If they do so, I'll find a way to subtly cut them out without make it so obvious what I'm doing, not to them, nor to father. And I won't be alone, Val and dad will be there, my mother, Dalilah, and Octavian won't dare to try anything in front of him like that, not on his face," she didn't seem pleased by that.
"They probably will. But deliberately in a way that your father won't notice," that's a possibility. "That's how snakes act."
"Either way, I can't stand my ground against them. Now I have to go, or they will finish eating and I'll lose the opportunity," I got closer to the door and when I was about to open it, I stopped and turned to her. "We'll go out after I finish breakfast!"
"Okay!" She bowed. "Eat well!"
"I will!"
We parted ways and I headed downstairs, my mind over thinking every thing, the future that became past, the past that became present, and my new chance to build a new future.
The year 279 in the Caspien Calendar. It gives me exactly five months before my fourteenth birthday. Plenty of time to start changing the course of my life. The Caspien Empire itself was built in less time than that, back when the three royal siblings of the previous Caspien Kingdom conquered more than twenty kingdoms in the Harkheiz continent to forge their empire.
If they could manage that, surely I can reclaim my own fate, I am a direct descendant of the oldest sibling, I shall make of the power my bloodline holds, my own.
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