Bad Influence//(svtfoe)

Chapter II

The Call

Solstice crossed her legs struggling to get comfortable in her itchy white stockings. She shifted her weight subtly my eyes never leaving Ms. Heinous's. Solstice took a sip of her tea daintily taking the opportunity to assess her hair and make sure it was all in it's required place. She smiled at her politely as she set down her tea cup. Suddenly she had the overwhelming urge to yawn.
No, don't you dare do it you know what happened last time.
In spite of her reprimanding thoughts she opened her mouth wide as she breathed in causing her eyes to close and her hand to fly up to cover her mouth. She arched her lip upwards as she breathed out opening her eyes and allowing them to water. Ms. Heinous looked at Solstice disapprovingly.

"Rule two hundred and seventy three?" Ms. Heinous quizzed her in frustration. Solstice sighed in remorse as she looked down.

"If you yawn while in company,
You belong in a nursery." Solstice recited robotically Ms. Heinous nodded approvingly, her eyes full if spite.

"Good, now try again." She demanded as her eyes picked Solstice apart bit by bit. Solstice picked up her cup steadily, her pinky at a perfect ninety degree angle. She held the cup up to her lips sipping it daintily. Suddenly, a deformed robot man who she knew to be the head of staff burst through the doors of Ms. Heinous's office. Ms. Heinous peered at the man demandingly. "What is it this time?" She demanded in frustration her eyes probing him for an answer, the robot bowed down as low as he possibly could to her.

"My lady, the new arrivals are here." He informed her dutifully her superior act faded in that moment and a indignant look filled her eyes as she rolled her eyes.

"Wonderful." She said sarcastically as she stood up, wiping imaginary crumbs off her dress. She looked down at Solstice suddenly. "You are dismissed." Ms Heinous said waving her out the door Solstice stood quickly curtsying politely before rushing out the door. The moment the young girl got out the door she rushed to the west corridor where the rooms are kept looking out the large window at the end of the hallway. Proper throne posture forgotten she pressed her face against the window to look down to see the new arrivals. She frowned when she saw how many there were this time. She scanned their faces quickly trying to identify even one of them praying she failed but as she got to the end of the line her vivid blue eyes found a certain princess Pony Head. She gasped and covered her mouth before rushing to her room and slamming the door shut. She breathed heavily leaning her back against the door she reached up to rip out the pins holding her hair in place. She didn't care if she had dance rehearsal later she just wanted them out. Her eyes wandered her room in a panic before finding her sceptor laying atop her bed. She looked up trying to steady her breathing as she marched towards her mirror.

"Mirror mirror, call Star." She commanded firmly as though on a mission. She looked through her mirror to see Star sitting on her bed writing in her journal. "Did you know that your best bestie is currently in princess jail?!" Solstice demanded in frustration trying to figure this out. Star looked up suddenly meeting her eyes. She laughed nervously.

"Yeah, of course I knew." She answered casually her eyes flitting to the door just as Marco burst through the door. He looked around, his eyes searching for something.

"Star, did you steal my nachos again?" He interrogated her in irritation she scoffed guiltily.

"What... No..." She said tucking something closer to her body. Marco turned his gaze on me through the mirror.

"Solstice you'll tell me the truth." He said excitedly. She fidgeted slightly she was uncomfortable with confrontation. "Did you see Star eating my nachos" he asked her causing Star to make the zipping of lips motion continuously behind Marcos head. Solstice looked Marco in the eyes and answered honestly.

"No, I did not see her eating your nachos." She said slyly knowing that Star was in fact eating them. His triumphant smile quickly turned into a troubled frown.

"Well if it wasn't Star then it must have been- Dad." The boy smiled running out of the room quickly. The moment the boy disappeared from view Star put a nacho in her mouth turning her attention back to Solstice.

"So-" she said through a mouthful of nachos. "-you were saying?" Solstice turned her attention back to her little sister.

"Pony Head is in St. Olga's reform school for wayward princesses." She said with a serious look. Star flinched at the name of the school. Stars eyes met Solstice's suddenly as she opened her mouth to talk. Just as she did so a loud beeping interrupted the call accompanied by the sight of a name flashing on Solstice's mirrors screen she looked at star pointedly. "To be continued." She promised with a pointed finger she fixed her dress quickly before looking at the mirror. "Answer." She commanded casually.

"Ah Solstice darling, how lovely to see you again." Solstice smiled at her mothers face. Solstice knew the look on her face, it was the same face Moon had made when telling Solstice she was going to St. Olga's, but for the sake of humoring her mother she would play along.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" She asked with a slight smirk and a raised eyebrow. Her mother cleared her throat slightly as though trying to find the words.

"Do you remember prince lucitor?" Solstice frowned at her mothers question inspecting her mother closely.

"Which one? The one with the bad temper or the one with the worse temper?" Her mother looked at her with confusion evident in her eyes. Solstice sighed pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Tom, or Marcus?" Solstice clarified glancing up from her mother towards the red checkered ceiling, her mother suddenly could not meet her daughter's eyes.

"Marcus." Queen Moon said looking guiltily to the side. Solstice crossed her arms and tapped her foot on the ground in obvious discomfort. She couldn't stand to even hear his name. Solstice sighed and stared hard at her mother.

"Yes, what about him?" She asked with a slight shrug of her shoulders clearly curious as to why her mother would bring up what she knew was a sensitive subject. Queen Moon took a steadying breath in as though trying to brace herself for her next words.

"You just turned fifteen a few months ago and you are turning sixteen in less than a year. So me and your father were thinking it's time we find you a suitor." Solstice felt her stomach drop onto the floor. She shook her head suddenly her hard glare meeting her mothers eyes.

"Mom, no I'm not getting engaged to that jerk wad." Her mother gasped at her daughters choice of words placing her gloved hand over her heart as though it wounded her. Queen Moon looked around in paranoia as though worried that he would hear.

"You should be careful of what you say." She warned catiously her eyes flitting from the back and forth from one side of the room to another. Solstice glared at her mother with an eyebrow raised, her steely gaze meeting her mothers cautious one.

"I don't care what you say, or what deals you make with the lucitor family. I'm not doing it." She said finally. Her mother groaned loudly throwing her head up towards the ceiling.

"Please try and understand that this is for the good of our kingdoms." Queen Moon pleaded to her daughter. When Solstice didn't even acknowledge her mothers words her mother sighed and looked down. "You don't have to love him you just need to try." When Solstice continued ignoring her mother she straightened up "I'll arrange for you to be sent home as soon as possible so that you may begin spending more time with your family and learning about your magic." Solstice turned her head away from her mother. Queen Moon sighed once more before the mirror shifted back to being nothing more than that a mirror. Solstice walked over to her bed, exhausted. As she plopped down on her soft bed a thought crossed her mind. A thought that she wished hadn't ever crept into her head.
Is it really freedom if your being thrown into a metaphorical cage by escaping the physical one?