Everything for the upcoming party was proceeding smoothly, gifts were being wrapped, food was being prepared, and activities were being planned. Peruere suppressed a shudder as she looked at the courtyard where painted wooden frames were being arranged for Marelle.
Colorful as the wooden frames were, some of them were inevitably be painted a new shade by the end of the festivities.
Even though she was still grounded, "Mother" would be allowing Clervie out to mingle with the family, it would be her birthday after all. Peruere pondered where her friend got her strength from, her determination to make the house better, and achieve freedom. It seemed that no matter how many times she was caught and dragged back, no matter how harsh "Mother's" punishment and trainings were, it only furthered her resolve. Recently, she had even convinced the others to fight into draws during the matches Mother arranged for them.
Her actions were clearly getting on Mother's nerves, no matter how well she hides it, Peruere had learned to read her emotions through her actions. Mother liked to act sophisticated both in front of the public and in the house, however when she was stressed, instead of sugar in her evening tea, she would add a small amount of Liquor from a fancy glass bottle. Peruere wasn't knowledgeable in the field of alcohol, but the powerful smell that permeated the air after she opened the bottle, it seemed to be a strong make. She had been doing this more frequently as of late, and as she walked down the hall, Peruere had heard her mention Clervie's name along with several other complaints about a Rooster and Captain.
Peruere wasn't sure what those names meant, they were clearly codenames, but they didn't match anyone she knew in the house, perhaps they were other members of the organization behind mother.
Speaking of mother, it would soon be time to start learning from that young boy that she had asked to tutor her in Mechanics, the boy had apparently accepted. It seems that the boy was an asset that she was eager to get her hands on. Mother had left some books in Peruere's room, it seemed that over the next few days she would have to study in order to not embarrass the house in front of their guest.
[POV: Clervie (3rd person)]
Clervie was pacing around her room, at a casual glance, the room was well organized if a bit sparce, with many books, a desk, and a neat bed. What someone who actively looked in the room would notice, was that there was no closet or dresser to hold clothes or bedsheets. The room's occupant had shown too much creativity with such materials to be trusted with them in her room, lest they be used to help her escape.
Clervie was thinking to herself about the possible times she could escape during her birthday celebration. But without a clear schedule of events, she could not come up with anything concrete. As much as she wanted to help her fellow members of the house, she hated being confined in these dark walls. She could hear the wails and screams of the others who had died through her mother's actions.
She wanted to be free, live life without having to tread carefully in the halls at night, make friends that she didn't have to worry about being backstabbed by or forced into a deathmatch with. But most of all, she wanted to get stronger without having to kill her family. Maybe if she became powerful, she could become the "King" her mother wanted, that way she would stop sacrificing the lives of the others. Peri had called it hopelessly optimistic, delusional even, but Clervie was determined to find a way to make the family stand together and be happy. She wanted there to be peace not only so that her siblings would not have to go on dangerous missions, but also Peri didn't have to use that scary flame that left unhealable scorches on her body. So far it had only reached her wrists, but Clervie remembered back when it had only taken over a few of her fingers, where her hands were largely unblemished. The flesh left after being burned, despite still functioning normally to Peri, looked dead, and wrong in a way Clervie could not describe.
If mother had her way, Peri would keep using that power even as it burned her up, further corrupting her body. Eventually, she feared it would swallow up her friend, leaving something else behind.
Clervie would not let that happen, she had managed to convince the others to end their duels in draws and not in death as mother wanted, that had seemed impossible to Peri too, Clervie just had to do the impossible once more and show her friend that she could believe in her.
-To be Continued