The clamour was growing with the second, but thankfully no one dared approach her at the parlour at the very moment. "agh" Cellentine felt her temple throb with pain. Azaelia instinctively pressed it with her fingers. "Damn them all" she muttered.
"Why aren't you holding out well." Cellentine sensed a voice from behind, unfamiliar as always.
But that voice caused Azaelia's hands to freeze. The pain in her temple dissipated as a cold wave washed through her brain.
"So, you're here too," she paused to turn around and look him in the face. "Charon"
The almond haired man smiled at the recognition and mocked a bow.
"many congratulations on your twenty fifth birthday, baroness."
Cellentine felt a sweat run down Azaelia's forehead. Her tongue did not utter a reply. The grip on her own hands did not loosen. It was different from the cold hatred she had shown to the emperor.
It was as if her senses had been shocked in sudden anticipation of something. The man sensed her rigidness and smiled understandingly. But his tongue was still a traitor.
"I suppose it is true that people consider my presence to resonate with carnage and conspiracies. Your expression… it's like I solely came here because I needed a sword.'
"Be it a sword, dagger or a honey coated tongue- you're only here because of want. The rumours do not fail you."
"Well, that's a bit rude!" Charon pretended to touch his heart. "Is it that impossible for me to cheer up a good friend on her most important birthday?"
"We are not friends, Charon. You know that better than anyone."
He judged her for a moment. "Well, one sided friendships aren't real after all, I guess. But I am curious, does his majesty count as your friend-Ah, nevermind, I apologise."
He lifted his hands up in surrender after Azaelia shot him a death glare at the mention of the emperor.
"Seriously," Cellentine thought, "she doesn't trust anyone. Does she even have a heart?"
But then again, wasn't she herself hovering close around that area?
Azaelia picked up a blushing pink glass nearby and drained it in one gulp. The taste of alcohol made Cellen want to flinch but Azaelia smacked her lips in relish instead.
"Cut the chase. Tell me exactly why you're here," She addressed Charon who blinked his eyes lazily.
"Hmmm.. Just be sure not to ask that question to every other guest you meet. Disregarding that flimsy title of yours, this modest low key party has gathered some pretty high profile guests." His eyes shone the more he scanned around. " What a wonderful destination for assassinations."
Azaelia nodded along. It seemed that her reputation was indeed a poisonous thing.
"To think even the Alliance of the archdukes would enter a mere baroness's party… not to say there is Marquis Delphier and his troupe in the merchant's guild. I don't think that anyone present in this party is below the title of a count, but for you, naturally."
Charon picked up one of the pink glasses from earlier and raised it to Azaelia.
"To the scarlet phoenix and the glory of Sabrik." Azaelia patiently watched him savor his drink. When the time came, she asked him in a low voice, "I don't see feudal lord magnus present with the dukes. Were the foxes prowling neatly last week?"
"Aye, I made sure to be lenient. That bastard's always been too cautious for his own good. Fancy for that to be te reason behind his downfall."
Azaelia's heartbeat quickened ever so slightly and to be frank, even Cellen got a hint what was about to happen. Though they were using metaphors, it was obvious.
"Tonight then, shall we finally commence the Pruning?"
"Shhh…" Charon pressed his index against his pale lips. But hi eyes glinted slightly in mischief.
"I'll be near the cellar after the stampede is over. Mingle but don't overload yourself because by God, you're already beat for now. Low on the liquor too, oi?"
Azaelia smirked. "Liquor doesn't faze someone who has tasted the sweat of war."
"And words are unamusing to he who plays with them every single moment." Chaoron matched her smile. "Good luck baroness. You'll need it."
With that, he slowly walked away from the parlour. Azaelia's vision followed his back until it disappeared amidst the swarm of nobles that gushed towards her after the departure of the black horses.
They all started to talk at the same time, too many voices banging her eardrums, the words tangling each other. Surprisingly, Azaelia stayed composed and even answered back to some questions.
All of these sounds, however, went right over Cellentine. Her eyes darting from one face to another, the swift movement of her, the blur of a hundred voices intense like an electric shok a first were becoming more and more vague….too distant for her to comprehend. What persisted was the swelling pain in her head, growing stronger and stronger, gulping down her exterior senses. Each blink she took became longer when finally, when tried to open her eyelids, she saw darkness.
The tug of gravity yanked her downwards. She was falling deeply. Her vision was pitch. Her tongue felt like lead. There was no sound resonating around her, even her own heart that beat frantically as the tug strengthened.She feel the force on her body propelling her towards an abyss that slew all existence.
She gasped for breath but there was no air. The speed of her fall kept increasing, threatening to reach the climax. Her ears had started to ring now. She somehow managed to grit her teeth and eyes as she suddenly accelerated like a bullet.
Every existence in the void was being stretched like a strand of elastic. Cellen could not think anymore. A single breathless moment that guised as a millennium.
When she would open her eyes she would gasp like dying fish. But her ruby eyes would be unfazed. It was always the same, after all.
Cellentine Picara endured it all just like she had for ten long years. She was long beyond the stage of terror.
Then, when she opened her eyes and sucked in the musty tasting air, she knew that she had woken up in reality this time.
Even though the floor under her rocked violently and the air reeked of human sweat. And the place she lied was grey with darkness and despite there were numerous shadows surrounding her.
"Oh," she thought as she silently panted, "so, this is what happens to me."