Centres' hand comes to touch my shoulder. "I know it is a lot to ask, and I can only beg you for forgiveness."

I inch away from him, disturbed. I know he's putting Xelor before me, and I don't hate him for it. What shakes me is him asking me to do the same.

Centres drops his hand.

"Do you love your son?" I ask.

"I do," Centres answers without hesitation. "But my planet will always come first."

My head hurts. I can't handle this.

"Think about it, please," Centres presses before walking out of the room.

I sink into a chair and reach for the water dispenser, needing to clear my head. The first sip I take makes me frown. The water didn't taste right, or at least not like the water I'm used to drinking.

How odd.

Pushing it aside, I decide to get fresh air instead. I push the window open and look out. There's not much beauty to see. The Capital has become a skeleton.

I turn when the door creaks open. It's an elderly man, dressed as a servant. He keeps his head bowed and rolls a cart into the room.

"Please do not let me disturb you," he says.

"It's alright. Is Dramon outside?"

"Yes. He is waiting for you," the servant answers as he dusts the empty bookshelves.

I watch him clear out the garbage, and reach for the room-water-temperature water.

"That water," I point out. "Where did it come from?"

He frowns. "From the kitchens, my lady."

"Right, but did it come from the well? I think something may be wrong with it. It tastes funny."

"I doubt this. Everything is checked for quality before it leaves the kitchen."

If the water is contaminated, then someone of higher access would have had to step in.

That bitch. She's poisoning me.

It's not the paint that has been making me feel ill, and hurt everything from my appetite to my sex drive. It's whatever I've been drinking.

"Alright. Thank you."

When he leaves, I take a bite from one of the cookies that were left behind in the tray, but put the rest down when it tastes bad, too. I'll have to wash out the disgusting taste of that water.

I walk out of the room, my head swollen with thoughts. I think of Centres, of Dramon, and the troublesome woman obsessed with him.

"What did Centres want?" Dramon comes up to me and touches my cheek.

I smile weakly. "Just to touch bases with me."

"Are you alright, my love?" he lowers his lips to my forehead. "You do not look well."

"I'm fine. Let's um... let's go to the room."

"Beysha woke up briefly," he smiles. "Would you like to see her?"

Relieved to have a break from the mess in my life, I straighten. "Can I go see her?" I touch his chest. "Please?"

Eager to please me, Dramon takes me to Beysha. She's sleeping again. The room is clean and there's a tablet on her lap.

There's distress on Beysha's sleeping face as if she's having a bad dream. I'm I touch her hand, and then leave her to rest.

On our way to our bedroom, we cross Lady Greed in the hallway. As usual, she's wearing an extravagant but unpractical dress, and heavy jewelry that likely belongs to Dramon and, by extension, me.

She glares. If looks could kill, I'd be on the ground. But since they don't, she tries to poison me instead.

I have no shame as I shoulder past her. Her ridiculous skirts make her stumble, but Dramon makes no attempt to catch her.

In the bedroom, Dramon promises, "I'll restrict her from this section of the palace."

I nod, not feeling guilty about my treatment of that woman. I can't wait to deal with her officially. She'll get a lot more than isolation for messing with my water.

Dramon excuses himself to check on work matters, and I take my free time to check the many pairs of trousers that were brought down for me. I touch the items that remind me of my time in the wilderness, and I break down.

Centres' words haunt me.

I remain on the ground until my sadness turns to desperation. As usual, I try to run from my stress. I ran from my human colony when I was young and suffocated; I ran from Centres when he demanded I married Dramon; I ran from Dramon when he hurt me, and I'm running now.

I pull a sack from under the bed and dump the clothes inside it. Then, I shove my belongings with trembling hands.

I couldn't bring herself to close it, though. I couldn't bring myself to vanish again. My disappearance after getting me back so soon would hurt Dramon, and he deserves better.

Figuring that I need more air, I wipe my face and have two guards escort her outside. I visit Treysa, who is more than happy to entertain me. I pet and whisper to her, and I quickly calm down. Soon, I realize how irrational I was being.

I'm stitchng my thoughts together when commotion erupts from the palace. I recognize Dramon's voice. Worried out of my mind, I walk to the gated entrance.

Dramon bursts outside, holding the bag of clothes I packed and foolishly left them in our bedroom. He must have seen them and got the wrong impression.

He shakes the thing, and my clothes fall out.