The Island (girlxgirl)

Chapter 19

I couldn't get over the fact that everyone was now calling Pinky "Cynthia" and me "Champion."

I didn't feel like a Champion. That last round in the jousting tournament...it was clear I got what I deserved, a zero for all my inexperience and arrogance. If I'd actually gotten a close score to Pinky...maybe I would accept the title of Champion.

But I don't, I can't. I don't feel like one.

Pinky's things had been cleared out and she was now living in a room on Cain's wing of the castle, so I never saw her. Sometimes when I would pass by where Pinky used to live in the maid's rooms hall, I would see through the crack of the open door that Ryder was sitting in there, stroking the floor, silently crying. However, if I quietly crept over and tried to come in, Ryder would see me, shut the door, and lock it. Ryder wouldn't come to meals now and I don't know if she's even eating.

Pinky needs to get back here so Ryder will be okay.

Elegance has been working on a flying machine out in one of the courtyards. She says it runs on power from the sun, which it gathers from shiny blue-glass panels, and this warms up water in the steam engine, and the steam turns the turbine inside the engine, making mechanical power for the strings to turn the circular wind sails. It requires two people to ride, in order to balance the thing, and no one, including me, will get on it with Elegance. I think she's crazy and not a single person will try her little steampunk invention, but when I saw Pinky looking out from a window in the castle, I could tell, down here, that from Pinky's eyes, she would try it.

Pinky needs to get back here so Elegance can test her flying machine.

Butterfly hasn't been seen since I left her in the Favored's art room. I used a RightSeveal on her once, and I got the smallest glimpse of her wildly painting Pinky's face and body all over everything in the Favored's art room, before Butterfly noticed the spell and shut it down.

Pinky needs to get back here so Butterfly will reappear.

Lorne is doing fantastic. If anything, she's using Pinky's departure as the opportunity to vacuum power away from the Favored. Todd, however, Todd has grown sullen and her self confidence is a shard of what it once was. Lorne has been bossing Todd around, and from what I can tell, is erasing Todd's pansexuality. I heard them doing this once myself, and I can barely believe it.

Lorne scolded, "Todd, what did I say about talking to guys?"

"We clearly agreed from the beginning that our relationship is an open one and we both can sleep with, let alone talk to, anyone either one of us wants." Todd retorted.

Lorne got angrier. "I don't want you talking with boys, Todd."

"I'm free to talk to anyone of any gender, binary or not, that I want, Lorne." Todd spat.

Lorne huffed. "You need to be a proper lesbian to be with me, Todd."

"I'm pansexual and if you think you can somehow change my orientation..." Todd growled.

Lorne hushed her. "If you're going to use labels like that, try to keep your voice down. Anyways, I don't care if you think boys are good-looking...just don't talk to them, don't sleep with them, and goodness, don't act like you actually are attracted to them."

"I am attracted to people regardless of gender. And the king's guard I spoke to that you seem to be so mad about, the 'guy?' Ze's agender, ze is not a guy, ze is not a girl, ze doesn't have a gender." Todd explained testily.

Lorne groaned. "There you go with that 'ze' third pronoun bullshit."

"One, that's ze's PGP, also known as preferred gender pronoun. Two, 'ze' is a widely used and respected PGP." Todd shot.