Crown To Condescend

A Deal With The Devil

The door to Sophie's study creaked open to reveal a figure hunched on her chair. Reclined on the plush back, her eyes appraising messy details of the room, Sophie could see Marella sneaking every interesting intel she could, for later references.

"I see you've made yourself home," Sophie commented as she gingerly shut the door on her way in.

Marella simply chuckled, "I do, in most places. Besides, I had a feeling it would take a while to entertain beloved Prince Charming and keep him looking the other way while I slipped in here."

Sophie merely groaned in response. She was glad he was intercepted by Lady Romhilda bearing a message for him, and took the menace off her hands. He didn't seem as happy about it, though.

Now for the matter in question, she turned to Marella, "I don't like dilly-dallying so let's just get to the point. What did you want to talk about?"

A barely-suppressed wince from Marella confirmed that she wasn't too enthusiastic to start on that topic.

Well, that only piqued Sophie's interest all the more.

She watched Marella's fingers weaving another braid onto her already-overflowing-with-plaits locks instead of answering (and wondered if those tiny braids were all a product of a nervous habit). So, Sophie wielded silence too, and waited for her to unravel on her own.

That's how it worked all the damn time.

Let time work it's way.

Sophie busied herself, pouring a cup of floral tea, the liquid tinkling against the glassy china, right as Marella finally whispered, "I needed something."

Yeah, she had that figured by now.

Sophie didn't deign to take a sip from her cup as she let her indolent gaze survey Marella, "I don't think myself as someone who does favours... makes me feel like I'm noble."

She shuddered.

It seemed like Marella had enough training to keep her features bored too as she smirked, "Good, because I wasn't asking for one. I'm here to make a little proposition, instead."

A soft laugh. "That's more like it!" She cocked her head and added, "We'll return to the my end of this bargain after we've talked well about what you oh-so desperately want from me."

Marella's only response was an impatient twitch in her jaw. It only confirmed Sophie's suspicions further that whatever Marella had to ask for was something she was in a hopeless need of. The more she let the waft of desperation free, the more helpless she became in this little game of who wielded the power. And judging by her looks, she wasn't enjoying her current position.

A new braid was on its way to being weaved (strenuous nervous habit, this one, she noted idly) but Marella, kept quiet... unflinching.

"Well?"

Marella merely blinked as if snapped out of her own reverie.

A deep breath.

Shoulders squared.

Marella finally met her gaze, "I need you to arrange a correspondence for me with one of your prisoners."

Okay, score one for Marella, for the definitive element of surprise.

"Which prisoner?" she asked carefully.

The knot in her stomach grew tenser as Marella's simple whisper sounded in her ears, "Trix."

"Pardon?"

Marella enunciated each syllable better this time as the words forced out through her gritted teeth, "Trix? Durand? Whatever it is you call him. I have some unattended business with him."