Sparks of a flame

7. Networking

VIOLET'S POV

Morning came quickly and I woke up with a start, confusion swirling in my brain for a good minute as I looked at the vast white ceiling and the white curtains that hung beautifully. Those were definitely not the curtains Lillian and I had picked out for our room redecoration and why was the air smelling so bland? 

Blinking away the sleep, I groaned as I realized that the sensation I had gotten from eating a bowl of spicy noodles, cross-legged on my bed, and scrolling away on my phone as I talked to my beloved roommate had been from a dream.

I was still trapped in wherever the hell I had landed. I shut my eyes again and let out a yawn. My head pounded as the memories from the previous day flooded my head. 

'Shit', I thought, remembering how I had offered to visit the Prince's kingdom. My fingers massaging my forehead to bring some relief, I opened my eyes again, only then realizing I was not alone in the room.

"If I was not convinced, I definitely am now. Princess Amah would have never agreed to think of, much less go to, the Kingdom Of Ronix, especially by herself without the King and Queen," Betty said when she noticed I was awake.

"Good morning to you too," I muttered, my feet kicking the bolster pillows off the bed as I sat up, vigorously rubbing my eye. She walked over to my side of the bed and poured a glass of water from the clay pitcher sitting on the bedside table. The water ran greedily down my throat, giving me a sense of relief and clearing the sleep that had been lingering behind my eyes.

"Are you allowed to be here?" I stretched my back out. "Will Lady Katherine be okay with it?" 

She beamed brightly. "Lady Katherine had a family emergency in the middle of the night. The head of the internal palace asked me to tend to you." 

Smoothing her palms on her dress again, she pursed her lips. "Are you really going with Prince Stephen to the Kingdom of Ronix?"

I sighed. "I have gone and gotten myself in trouble, haven't I?"

She shook her head, trying to smile but the fear in her eyes was visible enough. "What was your life like before coming here?"

I smiled despite the heaviness in my heart. "Well, pretty good actually. My roommate doubles as my best friend and she is literally my rock. College is stressful but I love my course and I cannot wait to graduate and enter the real world. I want to be a movie director."

She smiled curiously at me. "What about the young man you came with? The one who you say is now a guard."

A small frown flitted across my forehead. "What about him?"

"Is he your partner?"

"Of course not," I nearly snapped, only managing to check my tone as the words fell out of my mouth."

She cocked her head to one side. "Who is he to you, then?"

"Nobody, Betty."

She didn't let up. "He is a total stranger yet you ended up here with him?"

Her eyes bore into mine as if she knew I was lying. I sighed dramatically and looked away. An uncomfortable heat grew in my abdomen and I swallowed as a sore feeling formed in my throat. Deciding to be honest with her, I opened my mouth begrudgingly.

"Alexander is my coursemate and my ex-boyfriend's cousin," I stated. A small smile made its way to the corner of her lips. "So you do know him," she smiled.

"Mm-hmm. We have known each other since the first year of school. Our relationship has however not been a pleasant one. He loathed the fact that Liam, my ex-boyfriend, and I were dating."