Chapter Seven

"Why do you get to finish so much earlier than me?" Nieve couldn't help asking when, for the third night in a row, she came back to their room and Layla had already had time to get changed and try her hand at reading. Soon after Nieve had moved in with her, she'd started teaching her the basics, but it had never really seemed like a priority when they were starving. Now they lived in Serenissima and were conversing with Kaitlyn, Ryan, Riven and Evangeline on a regular basis, it seemed more pertinent.

"I'm not sure," Layla said unhelpfully, giving her friend a sorry look. "What did she make you do this time?" Her friend threw herself on her bed with a despairing sigh.

"I had to polish all of her shoes and line them up in the wardrobe," Nieve told her and it sounded so ridiculous her friend couldn't help laughing. "It's not funny," she grumbled, deciding to take a shower to calm her mind. She couldn't believe it had already been a week since they'd arrived in the Simia home. Layla seemed to have settled fairly quickly; it was clear she had an instant connection with her Lady while Nieve couldn't stand hers. Evangeline was incredibly high maintenance, though it was clear to the brunette she was trying to act nice when Ryan or the Lord and Lady were around. It made her wonder how horrible the redhead was going to be as soon as she and Ryan were officially married.

Layla watched her friend disappear in the bathroom before she turned back to her book. She'd been trying to focus, but her mind kept drifting off to her Lady's brother and how easy he'd been to talk to in the moments they'd been able to spend alone, usually at the end of the day after they'd walked Kaitlyn back to her room. He kept asking her about how she'd grown up, what her house had looked like, and how she'd survived by herself; he seemed surprised and full of wonder by every answer he got. It made her realise he usually didn't talk to the help at all, or, at least, not to anyone who'd grown up outside the city. In her turn, she'd asked about his youth, his answers far more wonderful than anything she could've imagined. She knew she shouldn't, but every day she kept longing for the end of her work shift, when they would have their moment alone. He was so much more relaxed when it was just the two of them and, because of that, she felt at ease, too.

In three weeks, he'd be engaged to the beautiful Evangeline, but even with that knowledge Layla couldn't help but slowly fall for him.

Riven lay awake in his bed. He'd tried not to listen, but the blonde across the hall felt so deeply it was hard to block his mind to her thoughts. He'd known it was a bad idea the second Ryan had invited the two women into his home; every day he could hear their thoughts grow fonder about each other, and no amount of warning seemed to stop his friend. He had no idea how to stop what appeared to be inevitable, namely their hearts breaking. Even with the engagement looming, even with Evangeline being around Ryan most of the day, flirting and smiling at him, all his friend could do was think about the blonde that was following his sister around.

While he knew it wasn't really his responsibility, Ryan was a grown man after all, he also realised his parents wouldn't see it that way; they would find a way to hold Riven accountable, they always did.

He groaned when Layla started wondering what it felt like to kiss Ryan. His power had been a gift in the way that it had ensured him a life that was far better than any other half-blood had ever had, but in moments like this he wished he could at least turn it off or that more people were like the blonde's friend. The only reason he knew Nieve had returned to her room was because he'd heard nothing but the door close; no extra mind pressing on his.

He still hadn't told anyone that he couldn't read the brunette, not even Ryan, unsure of how Lord and Lady Simia would respond. Despite the fact that he could read their minds, their thoughts still surprised him at times. They could be benevolent in the moments he least expected, and merciless even when they were in a good mood. He also didn't know if they'd blame him or maybe take things out on Nieve, since no one else was able to block their mind from him. He wasn't entirely sure, but he had a strong feeling the brunette didn't even know she was doing it; he actually didn't know if she was doing anything at all. Maybe if he tried really hard, he'd be able to penetrate whatever wall she'd built around her brain, but having her thoughts be blocked to him made her a mystery, it gave him something to wonder about, and he had to admit he liked that.

Nieve stifled a yawn as she watched Evangeline admire herself in a large mirror. The Simia seamstress was measuring the redhead for her engagement dress, and the bride-to-be had tried on so many different types of dresses with different cuts and colours without making a decision. The brunette had stood in a corner for four hours, bored to death because the only thing she could do was look and smile, even when Evangeline threw snide comments her way. She'd expected Riven to be there with her, as he had been the last couple days, but apparently, he had the day off, which only happened once a month and for one reason only. It had put her in a mood before the day had even started, still thinking it was a disgusting rule to have.

"Nieve, hello?" Evangeline's shout brought her back to where she was. The brown-eyed woman huffed when she finally had the attention of her handmaiden. "Unbelievable," she snapped, her hands resting on her hips.

"Sorry milady, I…." Nieve stammered, not even knowing what excuse to give her lady. The redhead mimicked her stammering, thinking she was being clever, but it had only made her look petty.

"Pay attention," the redhead snapped before she turned her look back to the mirror and how this latest dress fit her.

'I would if this hadn't taken hours and you'd bother talking to me like I'm a human being,' the server couldn't help thinking to herself, making sure her gaze was on her lady, if only so she'd be able to see if she turned towards her. She could tell that the bride-to-be was about to say the dress she had on would have to do because it was the only suitable one in the collection, until her eye fell on a rose gold embroidered dress, with a delicate bodice and a silky skirt that would flow beautifully from her hips.

"That one," Evangeline said, almost salivating. She didn't care how much it would cost, as her future family would be paying for it for her.

When Nieve heard the price, she had to stop herself from making her disgust known. That amount of money could keep her and her friend fed for years, and here was Evangeline spending it on a dress that she would wear once. And the worst part was that it wasn't even her main wedding dress, it was just for the engagement ceremony.

"You're in a good mood," Layla commented when Riven joined her and Nieve for dinner again. "Did you have a good day?" she asked, not able to remember if she'd seen him around the mansion today. It was hard to remember background details when Ryan had been around.

"It's my one day off this month," Riven grinned, letting them draw their own conclusions about what could've put him in a good mood. He never used his afternoon off for sexercise; he usually did an extra workout or escaped the mansion, and sometimes even the city, for a bit.

"Oh," the blonde almost gasped, her face flushing brightly as she tried to keep from thinking about him engaged in that type of activity. He chuckled at her innocent reaction.

"Gross, I don't want to hear you bragging about…" Nieve started grumpily.

"Who said anything about bragging?" the bodyguard asked calmly, giving her a wink when she turned to him incredulously. It made her mood even fouler.

"You're disgusting," she huffed as she pushed the food around on her plate, trying her best not to picture Riven without any clothes on. She felt her cheeks burn when he chuckled quietly. Had he heard her thoughts? She hated everything about his ability, she hated how she had absolutely no privacy in this castle. Even her room was across the hallway to Riven's, she was positive he could hear them think while he lay in his bed. The thought of him in his bed brought a new rush of heat to her face. So much so that she decided she'd had enough. "I'm going for a walk." She left Layla with Riven before her friend could protest, wondering how far she had to walk before her thoughts would be her own again.

It had taken her a while, but she was finally able to find her way around the castle without getting lost first. The hallways still all looked the same, and there were probably shorter routes than the ones she always took, but at least she didn't have to embarrass herself by asking some random person which way she had to go. The easiest way to find the kitchen was still to follow her nose. The only one she enjoyed talking to, besides Layla, was Jacqueline. The chambermaid seemed to have no filter between her brain and her mouth, which made it easier for Nieve to trust her. Unlike Riven, who she couldn't trust because he knew much more than he let on, or Ryan, who she wouldn't trust because of who he was. The time spent in the Simia mansion had done nothing to dissolve her dislike for primes, if anything she hated them more. She hated how Lady Simia acted like she was better than anyone else. Layla was getting closer to Ryan with every passing day, but the grey-eyed girl couldn't see past the fact that the Simia heir didn't mind that his best friend was also his servant and that the girl he was flirting with was a mere handmaid.

"You know, it's rude to leave the table while others are still eating," Riven's voice made her jump.

"Given the topic you were discussing…" Nieve said grumpily and let it hang there, trying to get away from him.

"Still… there are protocols," he reminded her of their position as he easily kept up with her with his long legs. He bit back another chuckle as she huffed. "Nieve," he said to try to get her to stop, resorting to taking hold of her arm and pulling her in closer.

"Let me go," she told him, hating that she sounded a little breathless. He was too close to her.

"Sorry," Riven apologised, but didn't move away and his blue eyes stayed on her face. "I went for a run today," he told her in a soft voice.

"What?" she asked, sounding almost harsh. Surely, she heard that wrong.

"I don't partake in sexercise. I went for a run," he repeated himself, letting go of her arm now.

"Why should I care?" Nieve managed to say, shrugging. He gave her a raised eyebrow, at which she took a step back. "I don't," she told him, just to be safe.

Ryan readjusted one of the medals pinned to his chest before he gave himself a final look in the mirror. He looked exactly how his mother liked him best, clean-shaven and official. There was no mistaking him for anyone else, one look at him and everyone would know he was Ryan Simia, only son of Lord and Lady Simia, heir to the Simia Empire. It was time he got used to looking like this, after the wedding he would probably get a more prominent role in the family, there wouldn't be as much time to just hang out with Riven like he could now. And then there was his future wife, Evangeline. He supposed he had to spend time with her, too. Thinking of her made him realise he had to hurry, his mother would definitely lecture him if he wasn't on time for dinner.

He almost jumped when he found the redhead on the other side of his bedroom door, waiting for him. "Hey," he greeted her, giving her a tentative smile. He'd barely spoken with her since her arrival, at least not without other people around. "No Nieve?" he asked, realising her handmaid wasn't with her.

"I told her to go to dinner, figured we could talk alone," she replied, smiling at him as she batted her eyelids.

"Let's hope mother doesn't find out," he chuckled, knowing his mother would find this highly inappropriate. There were protocols to follow, even for a Simia heir and his bride-to-be. He took in the woman he was about to get engaged to. Her hair was a fiery red, she'd worn a silk dress that matched it. It waved like she was floating in water, a mesmerising sight if there ever was one. He didn't know much about her, but he'd known since he was a young teenager that they were going to get married. He supposed she'd been trained her entire life just to be the wife of some rich man she wouldn't get to know until they were already married. "How are you finding Serenissima so far?" he asked as he held his arm out to her for her to take as they walked. Her hand lightly rested on his arm as she took his offer, and it wasn't unpleasant.

"It's like everything I've heard and more," Evangeline gushed before she caught herself; as future Lady Simia, she shouldn't be showing such strong emotions.

"I'm glad," Ryan nodded as he tried to think of their next topic. He was surprised to see his sister's handmaiden walking towards them. "Layla," he said, unable to keep some of the excitement from his voice and he hoped that his intended didn't pick up on it. "What are you doing up here?" he asked.

Layla felt like she was caught in a cross hair; while she'd been hoping she'd run into him she hadn't thought she'd find him alone with her. "Kaitlyn…" she blurted out, trying not to let herself stare at him. His blue eyes looked at her encouragingly, while hers were glaring. "She asked me to get her a book from her room," she managed to remember why she was up here.

"For during dinner?" the tone in Evangeline's voice was undeniably judgmental. The blonde server simply nodded.

"It'll be for after," Ryan tried to clarify in defence of his sister. "Layla, why don't you quickly get it and we'll wait for you here?" he suggested now, at which she gave a quick nod and rushed off towards her Lady's room. He turned towards his future wife and saw she was looking a little disappointed. "I know you wanted to talk alone but it'd be better to walk into dinner with someone with us," he explained and he saw her nod, conceding.

"Of course, you're right," Evangeline placated him with a sweet smile. "You're so good and proper to think of my honour," she added, complimenting him on his sense of propriety. She saw him nod almost proudly; no one was going to be able to accuse him of doing wrong by her.

"Shall we?" he suggested when he heard Layla approach them and offered his arm to the future Lady Simia. Evangeline gave him a coy smile as she placed her arm through his and they started making their way back to the dining room.

Layla followed them quietly, knowing that that was one of the most important parts of her job, to not be seen or heard. Ryan, to be fair, didn't say much either as Evangeline kept up a string of conversation and comments. To keep herself occupied, the blonde server took in the corridors they passed, noting paintings, sculptures, the colour and design of the heavy drapes, and found herself with a new admiration for the Simias' taste.