her fists. Anna's words stung because they were true. She wasn't just any other human in the castle.

For a moment she thought about confiding in Anna about everything, but didn't. She felt oddly protective over what she shared with the kings, and didn't want anyone else but them to know the truth.

Anna looked back at Juliette, "Just... don't forget about the rest of us when they move you to the fancy part of the castle."

The insinuation wasn't lost on her ears.

Fighting to urge to be embarrassed, she shot a disingenuous smile that didn't meet her eyes. "Maybe they'll let you have my room once I'm gone."

Juliette knew this wasn't the last time they would discuss this, especially with the way Anna wouldn't extinguish the resentment in her eyes and tone.

Anna's lips pressed into a thin line, clearly fighting the urge to say something more, nodding stiffly.

"Maybe," she replied, voice flat.

Juliette stood there for a moment longer, as Anna turned her back to resume her work. Regret and guilt were creeping up, but she didn't want to cower away.

"I'll see you around, Anna." Juliette quietly said, the words sounding empty to her own ears.

Anna didn't respond.

A strange mix of emotions swirled in her stomach. Guilt, defensiveness, and a nagging sense of isolation. She didn't fit in with the other humans anymore, and she certainly didn't fit in with the kings. Not really.

She was somewhere in between, and that, perhaps, was the loneliest place of all. 

⁂

Canon fact: Juliette's room is the nicest because it used to belong to a lower guard member who lived there to make sure the other humans were working. 

Anna:

Juliette: