Later that night...
As her maidservant brushed her golden locks, Scylla watched her reflection in the mirror, mesmerized by the way the city lights beaming through the window caressed her cheeks. A gentle smile touched her lips as she found a moment of serene beauty in her quiet bedroom. A soft knock on the door pulled her from her reverie.
"Come in!" she called.
Her father, one of the highest ranked Votyan government officials, tiptoed into the room in his red imperial uniform adorned with numerous medals. With a grin, he produced a teddy bear sporting a red bowtie from behind his back.
"Scylla, look what I found!" he exclaimed.
She playfully rolled her eyes at him before setting down her brush and accepting the plush toy. She looked at him with a coy smile.
"Another toy bear, Papa? Is this because of Madam Cecelia Holloway's execution?" she asked.
Her father immediately raised his hands in defense.
"Pfff- I just saw this little guy during my patrol and it reminded me of you. Isn't it cute?" he replied.
Scylla paused, considering his words.
...
Her father let out a sigh.
"...You caught me, baby girl. I was afraid you would be upset about her death."
Scylla placed the teddy bear in her lap and shook her head gently at her father.
"I'm more worried about you, papa. You're an even bigger fan of hers than I am. You even named me after her."
Her father's smile faltered.
"Eh... I admired her performances and beauty, not necessarily her character. Besides, I'm the one who gave the execution order. It does not bother me."
He placed his hands on my shoulders and leaned down to plant a kiss on Scylla's head. He looked at himself and at her in the mirror, the reflection like a perfect portrait of a distinguished imperial officer and his daughter.
"I only hope you turn out better than her, Scylla."
Scylla's father straightened his uniform in front of her mirror, a giddy smile briefly lighting up his features.
"I have to get back to work now, baby girl. Sleep well."
With that, he left Scylla's room, closing the door gently behind him and leaving her alone with her thoughts. Scylla looked at her maidservant who nodded at her, knowing full well what Scylla wanted her to do. The maidservant expeditiously dotted some makeup on Scylla and got her dressed. Once finished, she stepped back, allowing Scylla to examine herself in her full body mirror. Scylla's lips slightly pursed at the sight of her appearance. Clinging onto her body were a pair of loosely fitted trousers and a plain blouse. It's not her usual attire. She would prefer to wear flashier dresses and skirts, but it's a small sacrifice she can make to avoid attention. Scylla glances over at her maidservant with a smile.
"My father won't be coming home tonight, right?"
Her maidservant nods. "Yes, my lady."
Scylla hands her maidservant a banknote after hearing her confirmation.
"Thank you, Yuela. I'll be back soon."
Yuela graciously accepts the banknote handed to her. Meanwhile, Scylla crouches at the side of her bed and carefully retrieves a bag from underneath it. She waves at Yuela goodbye before leaving her manor.
As Scylla walked through the city, she made sure to walk with purpose and to avoid any eye contact with soldiers.
Just get there quickly…
She hops on the next bus, being sure to keep her head down and make her presence as unnoticeable as possible. As she waits for the next stop, she clutches her bag close to her chest. Once the bus stopped at her destination, she waited for the other passengers before getting off last. At last, Scylla's standing in front of a pub, she opens the pub and sees Charles behind the bar, tending to his glassware.
"Sorry, we're closed- oh. Scylla."
Scylla gives Charles a friendly nod while gesturing at her bag.
"May I join in?"
A pleased look forms on Charles' face.
"Of course."
Charles unlocked the door next to the bar and ushers Scylla in. As soon as Scylla was inside, he closes the door. Scylla walked over to the middle of the small storage space and opens a trap door. The sound of live music can be heard from the basement. She carefully descended down the ladder making sure to close the door above her.
In the basement where one would expect a wine cellar was actually a speakeasy with a makeshift stage at one end of the room. On the stage was a band of ex-musicians forced to stop playing their instruments by the imperials but refused to let it happen. Scylla heart warmed at the music coming from the stage and seeing the joy it brought to the musicians. The other patrons recognized Scylla and greeted her one by one. However, there was one boy among the spectators which Scylla doesn't recognize. The boy looked to be around her age, 14 years, with blonde hair and blue eyes like hers. Anyone could tell that he was absolutely fascinated with the live band and their music. Scylla was surprised to see someone like him here, so she went up to him eager to meet a fellow Votyan who appreciates the arts like her.
"Hello, I've never seen you around here. Are you enjoying the music?"
Alfred's attention turned to her. His eyes were beaming with excitement.
"Yes! It's been so long since I've heard music like this… I just can't believe people just gather here and do what they want."
Scylla laughed.
"Yeah… it's pretty amazing. I'm Scylla by the way, what's your name."
At the mention of her name, Scylla noticed how the light in his eyes dimmed. Alfred considered telling her his name, but something in him prevented him from doing so.
"Uh… Alfie. Is Scylla an imperial name?"
Scylla slowly nodded her head, a bit concerned at where the conversation is going. She felt like something had pinched her when he mentioned the word imperial.
"Yeah... I don't think I've ever heard the name Alfie though."
Alfred nodded. "It's a Forentian name…"
Scylla's eyes widen in surprise. "Oh! Are you Forentian?"
Alfred nodded again.
Scylla has a hint of guilt on her face.
"Oh… I was under the impression that you were Votyan. I'm sorry to assume. I try not to judge people based on how they look, but here I am. It's nice to meet you Alfie."
Scylla holds out her hand, which Alfred reluctantly shook.
"You too, Scylla. I didn't expect there to be a Votyan here. Are there usually a lot of Votyans who come here?"
Scylla shook her head.
"There's none other that I know of. I was just privileged to experience art growing up, so I like to come to gatherings like this."
Alfred was dumbfounded. He couldn't believe that this imperian girl is talking about art like it's natural to her. Even he couldn't experience art growing up after it was ripped away from him.
"You… experienced art growing up?"
Scylla nodded. "I was able to because of my family's status. But I know it's not like that for all Votyans."
Alfred was skeptical. "I thought imperials hated art. Isn't it banned?"
Scylla frowned. "Not all of them. It's a secret I have to keep too. I mean, who can listen to this and not feel some kind of... joy?"
Scylla watched the band play and clapped along with Alfred. She seemed to be in high spirits, but Alfred couldn't stop glancing over at her from time to time. Once the band stops, Scylla's eyes light up.
"Oh, it's about time for my performance!"
Alfred tilted his head at her.
"You're performing?"
Scylla chuckles. With a grin, she responds to him. "No, not really. But I do have something to show to everyone whenever I'm here."