Olivia paced her room at the palace, her red hair pulled back in a perfect tight bun, not a single hair out of place. She nervously bit her lip, thinking about what had occurred the day before. To say she was surprised by the events that unfolded the day before would be an understatement, she certainly didn’t regret it, she was a do what you wish type of girl—she just didn’t know where to go from here. She had always found him to be attractive as she grew up in the palace, in the very room she now paced. All the stupid teenage girl feelings flooded back, stupid! How can I face him now? There was no way that she would ever be able to face him—there was no way he’d ever look at her twice, the only man she’d ever marry would be the crazy man her parents bound her to when she was only four years old. No, no she would ever be lucky enough to find someone who cared for her like Liam cared for Ellie.
Olivia wanted to leave, go back to her home in Lythikos, get the hell away from the palace and—everyone. She hastily shoved her things in her suitcase, just leave, that’s what she should do, but since when did Olivia Neverakis ever do anything she was supposed to? She dropped the garment in her hand, crossed the room and headed to find the one person she knew who would understand, would get exactly how she felt, Ellie.
She chuckled softly to herself, she never thought she would be the type of girl to go running to her friends, hell she never had any friends—not real ones, not before Ellie. When Ellie first showed up at court, Olivia couldn’t stand the girl, Ellie wouldn’t be pushed around or allow Olivia to push the other Lady’s of the court around either. The very reason why she couldn’t stand Ellie soon became the reason why she came to care for and trust Ellie. Trust, something that didn’t come easy for Olivia, or Ellie for that matter. Helping each other uncover the blackmailer during the engagement tour helped them bond, Olivia felt oddly close to Ellie far before she ever admitted it to her in the old dank dungeon, it was just Neverakis’s don’t have friends, they are strong and fierce and do things on their own, only taking allies if they needed. She realized before Ellie asked her to be her maid of honor how much Ellie truly meant to her, she was the one person she could count on to tell her how it was and at the same time be there for her, she was her person.
A small smile quirked on Olivia’s blood red lips, she never had someone she could always count on, truly trust, a friend to talk to. It felt odd, in the best possible way to have someone she could lean on when she absolutely needed it, someone she could trust. It meant more than she could ever put into words when Ellie had come and held her hand after they had returned to the reception, Ellie got it, she was alone too. Ellie had been the one to finally convince Olivia to seek medical care for her wound in her side. Olivia had tried arguing that she was a Neverakis and she didn’t need a doctor, but Ellie insisted and she was just as strong and fierce as Olivia was, maybe that’s why they got along so well.
She stopped outside the door of the palace library, the one place she always knew she could find Ellie this time of day, she wrung her hands in front of her. She rolled her eyes, get it together! This is Ellie, she won’t judge me, she understands me! Just go in! Olivia mentally chastised herself for behaving like a stupid nervous girl, she was a strong fierce Neverakis woman. She straightened her back, holding her head up high, she wrapped her fingers around the door handle turning, she pushed it open. Her heels clicked on the hardwood floor as she crossed the expansive room to where Ellie sat, a book in hand, just like everyday at this time.
Ellie looked up when she heard the clicking of heels against the wooden floor, she smiled when she saw Olivia, the corners of her mouth quickly dropping when she noticed Olivia looked troubled. She never knew Olivia to show her emotions so freely, so easily, so the look had Ellie worried. She patted the seat of the couch next to her, she may not have known or even been friends with Olivia all that long but they were already easily able to tune in to what the other needed. Now, Olivia just needed her to listen, so Ellie would let her talk when she was ready and reply when needed.
Olivia smoothed down the back of her red dress, sitting down on the cushion next to Ellie, she leaned her head against Ellie’s shoulder. Now Ellie knew something was really bothering Olivia, she hardly ever wanted physical comfort. Ellie could count the number of times that Olivia was this upset on one hand, hell, she only needed one finger—the last time she needed comfort like this was when she found out her parents forced her into marriage at the age of four. That had been the only time that Ellie had seen Olivia fall apart, going from screaming in anger to crying and resting her head on Ellie’s shoulder. Ellie was concerned for her friend, wondering what could be causing her to seek this kind of comfort, but she knew Olivia would tell her when she was ready. Ellie leaned her head against Olivia’s, calmly waiting for her to be ready to open up to her.
“Ell.” Olivia said biting her lip, receiving a hum in reply. “I think I’m having feelings for someone.”
Ellie knitted her brows together, that wasn’t so bad, in fact it was good, wasn’t it? So why was Olivia so visibly worried? Was it her marriage to Anton—the fact that her parent could do that to her still made her blood boil. “Well isn’t that a good thing Liv?” She asked, voicing her confusion.
“That’s the thing, its,” Olivia stated tapping her leg with a perfectly polished nail, “its complicated.”
“Because of Anton?” Ellie asked, trying to understand what was going on with her friend.
Olivia heaved a heavy frustrated sigh at his name, how her parents could possibly think it was all right to marry her off at four years old she couldn’t understand. “No—” she sighed, “ because of who it is.” She replied.
Now Ellie was thoroughly confused, who could Olivia be having feelings for that would be complicated? “Who? Drake?” Ellie asked.
Olivia laughed at Ellie’s suggestion, like she’d ever have feelings for Drake. She’d slept with him over the years—sure, but it was always just sex for both of them. Bastien, was beyond complicated, she’d grown up with him, he was older—he’d never see her that way. Plus he worked for Liam, everything was just—complicated. “No, not Drake—Bastien.” She replied.
“Bastien?” Ellie asked surprised. “How—when did this happen?”
“Yesterday when I was retraining him.” Olivia replied.
“How’d that happen?” Ellie asked, wondering how you go from training to sex, then remembering her training session with Liam before the costume ball, her cheeks flushing as red as Olivia’s hair—that’s how.
“I pinned him.” Olivia replied.
