The Princess's Servant

55. The Pond

Sybil stared down at the gray surface of the water. Walking just out of eyeshot of the camp, she'd come upon another shallower pond, and had knelt beside it. As the princess stared down at her water-muted reflection, a drop of water hit the back of her bare neck. She pulled up the hood of her velvet indigo cape.

The rain began to shake the settled pond. Sybil reached a hand out to the waving water. Her fingertips dipped under. The water was cold. Soothing. She pushed her hand in and then her forearm. And soon she was not pushing but being pulled. The water. How inviting it was. She could enter that watery realm and never leave it.

An image of her village flashed before her eyes. Not her buildings and taverns and homes — but her people. Her people. Her arm (now almost fully submerged) froze. She yanked it out and wiped it with her cape.

Sybil patted her hand dry, but still the water's silent song drew her in.

And then! Staring at the water's surface! She saw her own face twice! Sybil blinked her eyes and scrambled back. It was impossible. But she had seen it — her own face twice on the pond's rocky surface.

Sybil shook her head and caught sight of a brown robed figure very near her. And it finally made sense. "Eris...?" She asked the smirking woman. "What are you doing here?"

Eris shifted her weight to one hip and crossed her arms. "When I heard my sister was en route to her wedding, I knew I had to see her off," she replied.

Sybil rolled her eyes and stood from the dirt. Her sister's height was the same as hers, though Eris stood taller and prouder than the troubled princess. "Here to gloat, hm?" Sybil asked. "Let me guess — 'My unhappiness is of my own making. If only I stepped away like you did, I'd be free.'"

Eris smiled. "Not what I planned to say at all." The hunters stepped away from the water's edge. "I fully support your wedding."

"Why?" Sybil asked. "Because you hate me that much?

"Because I love you that much. And because I know how much you hate the Wardian Empire." Eris took another step closer to her sister. "This should be fun for you."

The princess scoffed in disbelief. "'Fun?'"

"Fun," Eris reiterated.

Sybil narrowed her eyes in complete suspicion.

Eris rolls her eyes. "For someone so smart, you so often miss what's right in front of your eyes."

"And what is in front of my eyes, dear sister? Because all I see is death. Marriage and death."

Erie's teasing smile elongated into a sly one. "You could let it go that way if you wanted. Or..."

"Or...?"

"Or you could go wild with it."

Sybil narrowed her eyes further.

"Think about it. Your whole life, you've had to pull all your punches — watch where you swing. I know you have fury inside of you. Fire. Something that wants to break. Kill. The Wardians have no idea what a terrible mistake they've made, inviting you to marry their second heir. It's like welcoming a poison. You could let them eat you alive, if you wanted. Or... You could eat them."

Sybil felt her heart leap and plummet at these words. She drew in a breath and let it out. "You offer comforting words, sister. But the Wardians are more powerful than you know. They're more powerful than either of us could possibly imagine."

"Hmm... That may be true." Eris shifted her weight and turned halfway towards the pond. The rain still beat upon it. "The depth of their power I know not, nor their power's dimension. It could be said that the only thing I do know is that they're not more powerful than you."

"Your flattery is exiting the world of reason, sister, and entering the realm of fantasy."

"Well, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Speaking of, how fares your servant? I pray you were able to find him?"

Sybil dipped her chin. "No thanks to you."

"Good, good," Eris smiled. "And he accompanies you to Ward?"

Sybil said nothing in reply.

"Say, he hasn't told you anything about anything yet, has he?"

Sybil's brow twitched at this. "Anything about what?" She asked. "About how you conspired against me? About how you sheltered him in your camp?"

Eris's smile only widened. "So strange he hasn't said."

"Said what?" Sybil pushed.

Her sister didn't reply.

"Eris!"

Another goddamn smile.

Sybil felt that fire blaze inside her and she lunged for the former heir. Eris dodged just in time and Sybil caught nothing but air.

"Good luck sister!' She beamed. "Do have a lovely wedding! Write to me when it's over."

Sybil grunted and turned her back. "Goddamn poverty cultist holier-than-thou hypocrite..." She stomped off back to camp. "You'll be lucky if I send you an insult."

Eris only waved.

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