𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐀 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄 ᵃᵃʳᵒⁿ ʷᵃʳⁿᵉʳ

𝐒𝐈𝐗

I found myself standing by the long, wooden table in the dining room again, behind Warner, who was sat on the head of the table. He sat in silence, hands in his lap, outfit consisting of a dark grey suit with a white and grey striped tie, waiting for Kent to bring Juliette inside. My gloved hands were somehow shaking hysterically, so I placed them behind my back for no one to notice.

Minutes passed, and I didn't even realize Adam Kent had stepped into the room until Warner stood up. My head turned up to look at him, but the woman behind him caught my eyes first. Juliette stopped as her eyes wandered over the table, taking a quick look at Warner before she looked around, the panic in her eyes washing away as soon as she saw me.

My guess was because I am a woman. She felt incredibly uncomfortable with the attendance of only men. I would have too, trust me. Sometimes I still do. Warner's presence can be ultra stressful, but I got used to it. Somehow.

I gave her a soft smile, but the back of my head told me I just made it worse. First of all, I was standing behind the supreme commander's son, so she may or may not have guessed that I was on his side. I wasn't really, but in this situation I was. Second, I was a guard. So I could assume she most definitely doesn't trust me. Not yet, hopefully.

She broke out of her thoughts when Kent's hand brushed her back, and I know Warner noticed too. They both stepped forward, the commander pulling the chair out to his left, where I was once seated, and gesturing her to sit down, what she did. The guard sat down opposite of her, not sending a single glance to me.

I knew Adam Kent despised me, Kenji told me, but I had never been a big fan of his myself.

"You know..." Warner started, almost entirely turned into her direction. "There are clothes in your armoire." He gestures to her choice of clothing, which hadn't changed from the old, dirty lump of fabric and outworn tennis shoes.

Juliette wasn't looking at him, yet I was. My eyes wandered over the facial reactions of the light blonde as he talked to the weak girl, who refused to eat, drink or change her clothes, even as he poured her a glass of water. She was incredibly thirsty.

"I'd really rather die than eat your food." Were her words.

I heard him sigh, slowly turning around to face me, which I didn't see coming, holding out his hand, opening it and mouthing: "Your gun, please."

There was no chance for me to deny, so I grabbed the white colored revolver from my pocket and handed it to him, our gloved hands grazing.

Warner gave me a soft smile before not even fully turning around again, and shot some kind of meat sitting on the table on a plate through the bone.

The hall went completely silent, the only sound coming from the meat which was slightly steaming. The brown-haired girl looked extremely terrified.

The blonde man at the head of the table dropped my gun onto her plate.

"Choose your words very wisely, Juliette. One word from me and your life here won't be so easy."

As Kent shoved a plate full of food in front of her, Warner turned around and handed me my gun again, his eyes saying:

Wait. I had no idea what he was telling me with his pure green irises.

I took the gun and he faced Juliette again, the topic of her clothes joining and leaving the atmosphere as quickly as it came.

"No one asked what you like, Juliette. Now eat. I need you to look your best when you stand beside me."