Ch 24 – What do you mean you don’t believe me? I’m a paragon of truth!

My tread forward slowed as the cherry gazebo drew near and my anxiety rose. Above us, the midday sun peeked out from the trees, brightening the path ahead. It was obvious that Lilis was here for some sort of social endeavor, but I couldn’t discern her aims therein. What purpose did this trip truly serve?

Lilis’s hand reached forward to grip mine and gave it a squeeze.

“There’s no sense in hesitating now,” she said in a soft voice.

Realizing that I’d stopped, I stepped forward once again, continuing to stare at the sleek cherry wood arches and smoothly carved stone steps. As I walked, I could feel the thin ribbons between my legs begin to slowly pull upward. The sensation made me shiver. Glancing down, past my bare chest, I could see the soaked fabric almost disappearing between my lower lips, at this point hiding almost nothing.

My hand didn’t release Lilis’s as I pondered what she had planned. Did it have anything to do with me, or was it something entirely separate? Was she involved in some sort of plot against someone—an attempt to rise up within the school’s social ladder? Or was she perhaps here for some other sort of transaction? Did my near-nudity serve some other purpose other than simple embarrassment?

My lips pursed as the questions brushed through my head, one after the other. Thoughts of her parading or posing my mostly-nude body swam through my mind. Perhaps she’d lay me across a table, to be used like an ornament to display a selection of food. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d seen a woman used in such a way.

But in truth, I simply didn’t have enough knowledge on the woman to guess at her plans. In my time at the academy, she simply hadn’t crossed my sphere of notice till now.

Just before entering the gazebo, my gaze traveled downward. I moved up the stone steps and ducked beneath a tangle of flowering vines, finally bringing in view of those inside.

“Finally!” The girl on the right leaned forward against the sleek glass table, her red cape shifting over her shoulder.

I looked between her short black hair and familiar face, realizing that I’d seen her earlier that morning. She was the woman who’d caught us in the hall, eyeing me with plain lust. Now I stood before her with even less on than I had then. What had her name been?

Lilis strode around me, releasing a sigh. “I should have guessed you’d show up.” She crossed her arms, giving the woman a standoffish stare. “What are you after, Evara?”

Evara smiled and twirled a finger through her straight, black hair. She eyed Lilis and then glanced over at me, her eyes lingering momentarily on my bare, red chest. “I think you know precisely what I’m after, Lilis dear.”

Across from her, the other girl at the ornate table brought a hand to her mouth. Her cheeks reddened as she let out an embarrassed cough. Unlike Evara, she was someone I recognized—one of the Slenev daughters, who much like the Espir family, held a heavy focus on witchcraft and botany. Her long blonde hair shadowed her face as she leaned forward, before taking a moment to straighten her posture. Despite the obvious attempt at propriety, the girl stared off to the side, too red-faced to look our way.

“Stop teasing Gaila,” Lilis chastised. “Or I’ll throw you out into the bushes.”

She strode forward, circling around Gaila, and sat primly in the chair between them. Meanwhile, I stood awkwardly still, uncertain of whether I was meant to sit or something else. Did I really need her permission? As though sensing my nervousness, Evara’s eyes moved back over to me.

“I’m glad to see you brought your new roommate along.” Evara’s smile shifted into a full grin.

Her fingers once more twirled around a strand of dark hair. As she stared, her eyes began to lighten, until what looked back at me was a bright, almost eerie pink. The unnatural color held a crazed, almost violent intensity mixed with a tinge of hunger that held me frozen in place.

“Ruby.”

I jumped, blinking over to where Lilis sat, hands situated politely in her lap.

“Pick up the serving tray, if you would,” she continued.

My eyes moved to the ornate, white tea set sitting on the table of glass. She… wanted me to serve them? I looked up once more, meeting her firm, expectant green eyes.

Something about the request felt odd, as though there was some purpose beyond her request beside the obvious—one I was struggling to figure out. Was it merely just another way for her to assert a form of dominance over me, or was there something else to the request? Either way, I knew it wasn’t as simple as the convenience of having her tea poured for her.

I could refuse her. It was doubtful that she’d force the issue. A part of me demanded it, even. And yet, for reasons that were beyond me, I yearned to pick up the kettle and do what she asked of me.

Why?

My feet stepped forward, almost of their own volition, as though pulled by some outside force. With a small nod, I grabbed the tray, carefully lifting it off the glass. Steam rose off the kettle, likely enchanted to keep the contents at the perfect temperature. I balanced the warm, silver tray on my arm, as conversation continued. Was I really doing this? The thought of being reduced to some serving girl seemed almost as demeaning as the outfit Lilis had strung me up in.

“You took longer than I expected,” Gaila commented to my roommate, finally having fully composed herself.

I couldn’t help but notice how the woman paid me no attention at all. It felt… odd.

“I had some unexpected matters to attend to, unfortunately,” Lilis said nonchalantly, with a wave.

I looked away, my red cheeks warming as I remembered the feeling of her hand smacking my rear and the intense pleasure that resulted. The sensation seemed to linger even now. My legs brushed against each other, thighs still slick, despite having had plenty enough time to have dried. Evara’s eyes flickered between us, seeming to catch on to the unspoken subtext. Lilis ignored her, instead looking back up to me with a raised brow that said the tea wasn’t going to pour itself.

I bit my lip as I moved first to Gaila, tilting both the circular tray and kettle as I gripped the handle. The kettle shook only a little as the tea began pouring from the spout into her cup, thankfully not spilling out.

As I moved to Lilis’s side, I wondered once again why I was doing this. The situation felt almost unreal, as though I’d found myself in some foreign reality. My fingers gripped onto the handle tighter, and I fought the urge to throw it against the tiled stone floor and shatter the delicate porcelain. I took a deep breath, and the feeling slowly faded, though the question remained.

Why was I doing this? Why did I want to do this? Disgust rolled up into my chest, momentarily overwhelming the perverse sense of lust that had been guiding me.

Gaila placed her teacup down, having taken a sip. The light clink of the porcelain cup caught my ear.

“Well,” she said, breaking the silence. “I’m glad you still showed. Though unfortunately, the tea has become a bit over-steeped. With everything that’s happened, I worried that you’d forgotten.” Her lips curved ever-so-slightly down into a frown, and I had to admit the expression looked cute on her. The woman’s eyes briefly glimpsed my way, making it clear that she’d been referring to me.

Lilis gave her a soft smile. “Of course. I wouldn’t dream of missing one of our afternoon tea sessions. It’s so rare that we have the time for them anymore.”

The conversation broke me from my thoughts. As Lilis spoke, I continued on, filling her cup and then moving to Evara’s side. I was still no closer to understanding why I was doing this, though I felt I might as well finish what I’d begun.

My roommate continued, “There is always something or someone getting in the way, isn’t there?” She turned to Evara, her lips thinning.

I tipped the kettle just as the short-haired girl brought a hand dramatically to her heart. The sudden movement nearly made me drop it, though she paid it no mind.

“You wound me, Lilis. Have you already forgotten your invitation to join you for tea?”

“That was two months ago,” my roommate replied, unimpressed. “It was not an open invitation to drop in whenever you please.”

“Oh, don’t be so stiff. I’ve no interest in any of your secrets. What do I care about a bunch of smelly plants and their caretakers?” As I finished pouring, her bright eyes met mine, and she cradled her teacup. “Thank you, dear,” the woman purred.

Lilis took a sip of tea and then gave Evara a sigh. “The only thing you’re ever interested in is chasing skirts, I know.” Her words held an accusatory bite, yet her target gave a bright smile in return.

“Well, I admittedly prefer what’s underneath the skirts. Why should I bother with fretting over the strife and schemes around the school?” Evara shrugged, taking a sip of her own. She gave the tea a nod of satisfaction. “My father plans to all but abandon me if I don’t find some boy here to marry over the next two years. I imagine that he’ll sell me off to some old bastard to top off his coffers once he realizes that I have no intention to.”

On that dark note, the conversation lulled. I hovered awkwardly in place, having now served each of them. Uncertain of what to do, my mind briefly drifted.

It was strange that Lilis and Gaila would have such a seemingly friendly relationship. If I recalled correctly, their families got along poorly, much like the Espir and minor Fell families, though I was failing to recall the exact particulars of their history. They each relied on the trade of various alchemical elixirs, potions, poisons, and drugs that resulted from an expertise in botany and witchcraft within the kingdom’s underground. It was rather natural that they’d clash, much as enchanters, summoners, elementalists, and other magical fields typically clashed within their own circles.

What sort of plot were Lilis and Gaila brewing together?

Just as I decided to move off to the side, a hand touched my thigh. I met Evara’s gaze as my stomach managed several flips. Surprisingly, she was meeting my eyes rather than staring at my chest or further, between my legs.

“Why don’t you sit with us?” she suggested. Her foot moved around the back leg of the fourth and last chair, slyly pulling it out and closer to her.

I considered refusing, but decided that sitting would be much better than standing around impatiently, even if it did mean I had to deal with some potential teasing. Instead, I looked over at Lilis, as though seeking her approval.

Her focus was entirely on Evara, as she said, “That should be all the more reason to involve yourself, or to at least focus more on developing your magic. Do you really plan to just accept whatever fate your father decides for you?”

I didn’t need to defer to Lilis for every little thing, so why was I looking to her as if that were the case?

I bit my lip and muttered a “Thank you” under my breath, only to immediately feel silly for having done so.

Lilis made no comment as I placed the tray back in the middle of the glass table and sat in the high-backed chair. Its leather cushion was surprisingly soft, given that it was made for outdoor use. Though I shouldn’t have been surprised.

Evara, on the other hand, looked exceptionally pleased.

“Skirt chasing is a scheme of its own.” Her eyes crinkled in mirth as she stared at Lilis over her cup. “There are a number of beautiful women here who are quite taken by my presence.”

Lilis sighed and leaned back into her chair. “And so you’ve created your den of debauchery.”

The woman’s eyes brightened once again from a normal blue to a bright pink as she flashed her teeth in a wide grin. She opened her mouth to reply, only for Gaila to clear her throat in a soft but clear tone.

“Yes, Gaila, dear?” Evara said sweetly.

“I’d rather we shelve this and converse about something else, if you’d please.”

“Certainly. Though, as an aside, you’re always welcome to stop in. My door is always open.”

“Not everyone is a—” Lilis began, only for the slightly red-faced blonde to clear her throat once more. Abashedly, Lilis apologized, “Sorry, Gaila.”

The prim woman nodded in acceptance. “Has anything of note happened in your family?” she asked conversationally.

Lilis hummed in thought, accepting the not-at-all subtle change in conversation.

My gaze roamed over to my right, only to find Evara staring directly back. Her eyes were searching.